The Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) has sued for understanding and cooperation among aggrieved Niger Delta stakeholders over the emergence of Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, as the running mate to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, for the 2023 general election.
The council said that rather than pulling Okowa down, stakeholders of the region should close ranks and support his vice presidential candidature.
The national president of IYC, Timothy Igbifa, in a statement issued on Tuesday, argued that the Delta governor did not betray anyone for accepting to be the running mate of Atiku.
He reasoned that Okowa’s current political status remained the only strategic and major position available to the Niger Delta in the entire arrangements for next year’s polls.
Igbifa said, “The only best political position available for us in the Niger Delta now is the running mate and Okowa has been selected to represent the region which could have been any other.
“If Okowa’s PDP wins, the Niger Delta will have the opportunity of occupying the position of the Vice-President again.
“The South already have two Presidential candidates from other political parties but doesn’t have any other position bigger and better than a running mate in the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). This region’s interest is paramount.
“Pulling Okowa down amounts to rejecting the only opportunity that is available in that political party for the region, especially as the PDP is the biggest party in the region with huge followers.
“Therefore, the region should unite and queue behind him to enable them approach the elections, as either way the pendulum swings south is still represented.”
Igbifa congratulated the Delta governor on his emergence as Atiku’s running mate and pledged the support of the council for his aspirations.
He advised Okowa to embark on fence-mending to bring all stakeholders, including his colleagues in the region, on board and carry them along in all his decisions and consultations ahead of the general elections.
“We urge them to forgo their misgivings and support the governor in the overall political interest of the Niger Delta”, he said.
Igbifa said it was unfair to accuse Okowa of betraying the region since his emergence as a running mate was purely the decision of his political party.
He further said, “Okowa did not make himself a running mate. The PDP and the presidential candidate, Atiku, chose him. The decision of the party is always supreme and it behoves the Delta State Governor to accept it.
“Besides, it is the prerogative of the candidate to select his running mate and since he has chosen Okowa, the only thing expected of all stakeholders is to support him.
“It is high time the Niger Delta stopped the pulldown syndrome. They should emulate their northern counterparts who, despite unfavourable political decisions, support their own”.
