By Henry Umoru
DELTA North chapter of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has decried marginalization following the appointment of ministerial nominees.
Stakeholders of the APC from Delta North on Friday lamented what they described as continued exclusion of their region from political representation with references to the composition of President Bola Tinubu’s Ministerial nominees, Party’s current as well as previous Governorship candidates, State party Chairmanship, amongst other positions.
In a letter signed by the Stakeholders and other Party Chieftains from Delta North and addressed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu through the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume and the Chief of Staff to the President, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, the Party Chapter asked President Tinubu to replace Stella Okotete whose clearance has been pending by the Senate due to incriminating issues with its own candidate from Delta North.
The letter was signed by the Coordinator Independent Campaign Council, Aliekwue Simon Onyeka, Ika Federal Constituency; Engr. Tom Onal, Aniocha/ Oshimili Federal Constituency and Chairman, Oshimili North Local Government Area, Hon. Emeka Ikenyen.
According to the Stakeholders, the lamentation became imperative because despite securing massive numbers of votes for Tinubu in the 2023 Presidential elections, the zone was excluded from the Ministerial slots while Delta Central which has always enjoyed Political patronage were ceded two Ministerial slots.
The group urged President Tinubu and the Party’s National leadership to address the anomaly, just as it said that since the establishment of the APC in Delta State only persons from Central Senatorial district that have contested gubernatorial elections from Olorogun Ortega to Chief Great Ogboru to Ovie Omo Agege yet the party has failed in all attempts, adding that the State’s Party Chairman,Omeni Sobotie originates from the same Delta Central zone including the State’s Ministerial nominees Festus Keyamo and Stella Okotete all of them from Urhobo ethnic Nationalities .
The Party Chapter while congratulating Tinubu on his swearing-into Power, also pledged their loyalty and support to his administration’s economic policies, even as they said that it was troubling that the immediate past Deputy President of the Nigerian Senate and the two Ministerial nominees for Delta State still came from Delta Central stressing that it is unjust and thus does not reflect does not reflect equity and fairness.
The statement read ” We would like to bring to your attention the painful position of our great Party the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state and the lopsided appointment of Ministers of the Federal Republic.
“With the current political dispensation, the forthcoming elections in 2027 present yet another bright opportunity for our party to not only take over the leadership of the state but to produce maximum votes for your reelection.
“It is pertinent to note that equity, fairness, and justice remain the hallmarks of any Political leadership, unfortunately, sir that is not the case in the distribution of Political leadership offices across the three Senatorial districts of Delta State.
“Delta State has three Senatorial districts namely: Delta Central, Delta North, and Delta South. The central district is predominantly the Urhobo ethnic Nationality, the North district is made up of the Aniocha/Oshimili, Ika, and Ndokwa ethnic nations otherwise known as the Aniomas, while the Southern District has a combination of the Ijaws, Isokos, and Itsekiri ethnic Nationalities.
“Surprisingly, since the inception of the APC, only Delta Central has consistently contested the Gubernatorial elections in Delta, despite the unwritten zoning arrangement that has become a custom in Delta state across all political lines. Delta North and South have had to struggle to get anything.
“It might interest you to know that Delta Central (Urhobo) has produced the Ministerial nominee in the person of Festus Keyamo, Stella Okotete who is currently uncleared, the Governorship candidate, Ovie Omo-Agege and the Chairman of the Party, Omeni Sobotie while Delta North and Delta South are left bare.”
The state chapter while asking Tinubu to help the zone from going into political oblivion, promising that if they were considered for the Ministerial position they will utilise its benefits in the overall interest of the Party in the 2027 General elections, said ; “Now that the Ministerial nominee has been found unqualified both at the National Assembly and the security agencies, we urge the party to seriously consider Delta to take the place of the Uncleared candidate.
“It is perhaps a deliberate attempt to suppress Delta North people. This realization begins to crop up given the several abnormalities exhibited toward giving Delta North her rightful place. For instance, three Presidential campaigns have taken place in Delta State since the creation of APC, all three(2015, 2019 & 2023), none held at the State Capital as it should have rightly been done, they were all held in Warri, Delta Central Senatorial district.
“If we go by the plethora of neglect and disregard shown to the people of Delta North by the APC, one is right to conclude that the party is deliberately arm-twisting the party in the district. Politics as we all know is a game that thrives when people are carried along and treated fairly. The party in the state will remain at a stunted level if this obvious imbalance is not addressed. A lot of committed party faithful from the district are sadly feeling a sense of abandonment and rejection, thereby weakening their zeal and loyalty.
Giving an analysis, Delta North APC said that having scored 245,138 after Delta Central with 268,658 and Delta South with 153,353, the senatorial district said that it deserved a slice of Political leadership offices.
It further informed Tinubu of the three Presidential campaigns that have taken place in Delta State since the creation of APC, all three(2015, 2019 & 2023), none held at the State Capital as it should have rightly been done, they were all held in Warri, Delta Central Senatorial district.
Source: Vanguard