From Paul Osuyi, Asaba
Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State has insisted that there is no crisis in the state chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
Okowa, who is the vice presidential candidate of the party, said what was going on in the party with regard to the legal action over its governorship candidate was being misconstrued to be a destructive crisis among rank and file of the party.
The governor said the former Deputy National Chairman of the party, Bode George, entirely missed it to have said Delta as a key PDP stronghold was in crisis.
Speaking through his Chief Press Secretary, Olisa Ifeajika, Okowa said the litigation against the winner of the governorship candidate, Sheriff Oborevwori, by David Edevbie, who came second in the contest, is based on alleged certificate forgery and not against his defeat or the peaceful conduct of the primary election.
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Reacting to Bode George’s outburst, the governor said what was happening in Delta PDP was the beauty of democracy in action.
“There is no crisis in Delta PDP. The litigation against Oborevwori was not against the credible conduct of the peaceful PDP primary election in the state but on alleged certificate forgery.
“When the legal fireworks is over at the Supreme Court, all the party faithful will close ranks and work to deliver all their candidates to retain the state for PDP, which the state is known for since the advent of democracy in 1999.
“What is not in contention is that Ibori is the distinguished leader of the party in the state. Okowa did not commission DC-23 that screened and pruned the numerous aspirants from Delta Central and presented their three best, including Edevbie, Kenneth Gbagi and Oborevwori, for 2023 governorship to him,” he said.
He said Bode George mistook Okowa for the chairman of Southern Governors’ Forum and erroneously described him as the arrowhead of presidential power-shift to the South.
Ifeajika said Okowa was not at war with Ibori, who has been a distinguished party leader in the state over the choice of his successor as it was being misconstrued in certain quarters.