The Chief Press Secretary to Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, Mr. Olisa Ifeajika, has said the governor, who is also the vice presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), did not betray anyone in the party’s presidential primary.

Olisa told reporters yesterday in Asaba, the state capital, that as a loyal party man, Okowa heeded PDP’s directives and decisions in all matters concerning the presidential convention.

He recalled that the Southern Governors’ Forum at a meeting in Asaba, resolved and later reiterated in subsequent meetings in Lagos and Enugu to work towards the realisation of Southern Presidency.

According to him, when members of the forum returned to their various parties, decisions varied as each political party had different plans to approach the process of electing a presidential candidate.

“For us in the PDP, the party told the governors that it may not go with their position because we are in opposition. And, in order to get it right, the party set up a committee, headed by Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom, to advise it appropriately on zoning of the ticket.

“The Ortom committee, in its wisdom, recommended that zoning be jettisoned to allow all aspirants to participate in the primary to enable the best to emerge.

“The committee presented its report to the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) where it was agreed to open the presidential ticket to enable the best hands to emerge, as recommended.

“As far as we are aware, no member, including the governors or any group, protested the party’s decision. They all acquiesced and accepted the party’s decision on zoning,” Ifeajika said.

“One would have thought that having pursued the agitation without yielding results, that they will beat a retreat but if they go ahead to endorse another candidate aside the PDP Presidential candidate, appropriate steps will be taken,” Ifeajika said.

On former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s endorsement of Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, the governor’s spokesman said Obasanjo merely exercised his constitutional right, adding that Nigerians might not listen to him.

“You will recall that sometime ago, he tore his party’s membership card and said he wanted to remain a statesman. What he has done is the exercise of his constitutional rights.

“He was against President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019, but he later won. That means that many Nigerians didn’t listen to him and that may also play out this time round,” he said.