By Julius Oweh
Government House, Asaba is tension soaked about the political manoeuvring of their principal, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori. Despite the denials of most media aides., the governor body language is in APC and as you read this article, the governor is in Ghana with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Origin of Romance
After the Edo state landslide victory of the APC, this platform ran a highly analytical and now prophetic article. Can APC overrun Delta State? Today the whole of PDP under the captainship of Oborevwori are marching to the APC. Little wonder, one wit said that politics is the art of impossible.
Governor moves
It must be noted that the governor started the defection story by paying clandestine visits to Aso Rock, Abuja. And in a clearly Freudian slip, the governor was quoted as saying that ‘if Tinubu fails , I fail’. A governor of major opposition party linking his success with a different political party.
Memo to governor
It was perhaps all these that goaded the Concerned Leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party in an open letter to the governor to explain his romance with the APC and president Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The governor is yet to respond to that.
However, the state chairman of PDP, Chief Solomon Arenyeka said that the governor was not defecting to the APC, saying that such speculations in the social media were mischievous, sinister and baseless. But as MKO Abiola of blessed memory would say, you cannot shave somebody in his absence. Until the governor speaks on this weighty issue, the views of the state party chairman and all the media aides are nothing but blowing the winds.
Okowa and EFCC
The genesis of this political convulsion is the former governor Senator Ifeanyi Okowa tango with EFCC. Initially some politicians of PDP hue were bragging, saying that nothing would come out of it. Political interest groups and traditional rulers made Okowa abode, Mecca of solidarity visits. Today the fight to unearth what happened to the 13 per cent derivation had assumed a life of its own. And the governor wants to distance himself from his political godfather. It is a common knowledge that Okowa used the state resources to steamroll Oborevwori into power. The power equation is changing and Oborevwori is making smart move to save his political fortunes in 2027 and Tinubu remains the only political fortress.
The Ibori factor
Those who despised Chief James Ibori, the former in the present dispensation are now licking their wounds. Ibori is close to Tinubu and that explains the various federal appointments attracted to the state by the former governor. The Pond News understands that Oborevwori is also reaching to Ibori so as to have soft landing in APC. Oborevwori was a political aide to Ibori.
The APC obstacles
Despite the governor romance with Tinubu, majority of APC heavy weights in the mould of Senator Ovie Omo Agege and Chief Festus Keyamo are very resentful of the Oborevwori romance with the president. Selling Oborevwori to APC would be like carrying coal to New Castle. But in politics, anything can happen.
Fear of political orphan
What is actually playing out in Delta State is the fear of political orphan. And that is why the governor is amassing war chest to fight the 2027 election. Whether in PDP or APC, the political lingo in Nigeria is that money answers all prayers. And the prayer of the governor is how to secure a second tenure. It is smart move but the governor must move beyond political slogans and propaganda. It is good to get thousands of political aides but you must empower them.
Establishing political structures is all about economic empowerment. As it stands today, the political structures of Okowa is shaking because of the EFCC probe. Oborevwori may fall back to Ibori structure and using Tinubu at the federal level. The caveat here is that Tinubu is a man who wants 100 per cent loyalty, if you are in doubt, you can ask Omo Agege.
Albert Einstein, a leading intellectual American mind once said that politics is much more difficult than physics. Less than two years in office, the harsh realities is dawning on Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, the Ukudo and the more reason, he is shopping for a new political grandmaster.The second term venture is more of a political minefield and a careful treading could secure another four years at Government House, Asaba.
