Stay Clear Of 2023 Delta Gov Election, Ijaw Leader Tells Urhobo Politicians
Braduce Angozi addressing journalists in Warri yesterday……
LAGOS JANUARY 7TH (URHOBOTODAY)-Delta ljaw Leader and former Commissioner for Agriculture in Delta State, Dr. Braduce Amakazi Angozi has advised Urhobo politicians to stay clear from 2023 Delta State Governorship election.
Angozi who advised the Urhobo to stop dancing ‘Ekwe’ in preparation for the next governorship election urged them to stay clear for ljaw, lsoko and Ndokwa ethnic groups to produce the next governor of Delta state.
The former Burutu local government chairman noted that Urhobo has produced governor for eight years in the state and as such should allow other tribes in the state to equally experience the state seat of power.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chieftain who gave the advise while addressing group of journalists in Warri, Delta State yesterday argued that there was no evidence in the past where the various ethnic groups in Delta State come to an agreement in zoning the governorship seat according to senatorial basis, stressing that those Urhobos from Delta Central who are clamoring for 2023 as their birth right to produce the next governor of Delta state are deceiving themselves.
Angozi who queried the yard stick at which the Urhobos are clamouring for the 2023 Delta Governor , wondered how could the Urhobos ever dream of producing the governor again in a state where there are over five ethnic groups with the ljaw, lsoko and Kwale ethnic groups that have not produced governor.
He stated that by right Ijaw, Isoko and Kwale are suppose to agitate for Delta Governor in 2023 and not the Urhobo man.
“ For the sake of equity, fairness and justice, I urged my Urhobo brothers to wait and allow the governorship seat go round the above mentioned three ethnic groups to taste the feel of power before Urhobo again,” he pleaded..
Giving the breakdown of ethnic groups that have produced governor in the state from 1999 to date, Angozi recalled, ” Urhobo Nation had produced the first Executive Governor of Delta State, in the person of Chief. James Ibori who served an uninterrupted two terms of eight years and handed over to ltsekiri Nation, in the person of Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan.
“Uduaghan also enjoyed two terms of eight years without a bite of mosquito and he handed over to Senator Ifeanyi Okowa. Presently, the Anioma Nation under Okowa is doing justice to his eight years of two terms in office. He has served five years, remaining three years to complete his tenure and go.
“The next in line should be the ljaws who will produce their governor, and thereafter the lsoko and Kwale ethnic nationality will follow suit before the Urhobo Nation can come again. It is very funny and ridiculous for the Urhobo man to clamor for governor in 2023 when they know that the governorship seat has not go round the other ethnic groups that made up Delta State. I therefore advise my Urhobo neighbours to mellow down and work with the ljaws to produce the next governor of Delta State comes 2023.”
It is really laughable when some people talk in Delta State. So the leadership of Delta State is now about ethnic nationality or tribe! Dr. Braduce Angozi who made this provocative statement by calling on the Urhobos not to contest the governorship in 2023 should be bold to tell the whole world whether his kinsman, former President Goodluck Jonathan would have become president if the leadership of Nigeria was based on tribe. All the states in Nigeria are divided into three senatorial zones hence the governorship position is rotated among the three zones in each state. Why is Dr. Angozi talking about tribe now? If we were to talk about tribe, the Delta South where Dr. Angozi hails from would not have produced the governor in 2007; it would have remained in Delta Central for the people of Okpe, Sapele,Ethiope, Udu, Ugievwe etc that have various dialects to have produced the governor before it went to other tribes. Is Dr. Angozi saying that the governorship position should remain in Delta North so that all the tribes in that senatorial district to produce the governor before it goes to other senatorial district? After all, there are many tribes in Delta North just as we have them in Delta South!
There are certain utterances elderly people don’t make. One thing should be made clear, no tribe is weak, that the Urhobos are peace loving people shouldn’t be taken for weakness!The gentility of a leopard is not weakness.
I am shock by the kind or utterance made Dr Braduce Angozi regarding the rotational policies of governance in Delta State, pioneered by an Urhobo son that saw severe critics from his own ethnic group (Urhobo) as working against the interest of urhobo people having the numerical strength and population to succeed in its political struggle. It is important to note that if not for this arrangement Itsekiri ( Delta South)would have not tasted power and Ika (Delta North) would have not Tasted power, The movement of power is suppose to tend towards Delta central ( entirely made up of urhobo people)in 2023. I understand your plight Sir, be patient and wait for 2031 when it will move to Delta south again then you can now lobby the itsekiris and the Isokos. Please dont take the Urhobo peolpe for granted we are the most tolerable ethnic nation in Nigeria and other State of the Federation should borrow a leaf from the Urhbo people that has been marginalized and have the potentials to succeed but kept quiet for the sake of peace fairness and equity.I will like to refer you to the Tiv and Kanuri political dominance of Benue and Borno State respectively.