LAGOS JANUARY 6TH (URHOBOTODAY)-An ex-militant leader and the national Coordinator of the National Coalition of Niger Delta Ex-Agitators, NCNDE-A, Eshanekpe Israel, a.k.a Akpodoro has urged Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, to emulate the leadership style of former governor of the oil-rich state, Chief James Onanefe Ibori, especially as he is touted to being his political godfather.

This was made known in a statement issued by the former warlord in Abuja, Tuesday stressing the need for Governor Okowa to spread development equitably to all parts of the state.

Akpodoro, who lamented that Governor Okowa is sidelining those who worked for his second term emergence, which included members of his coalition, noted that, ‘Okowa’s godfather’ didn’t lead the state in the style the Ika-born medical doctor-turned politician is running the affairs of the state.

According to Akpodoro, who is also the Co-ordinator of the Urhobo Youth Forum for Change, UYFC, alleged that the governor doesn’t see the state beyond his Ika kinsmen.

The Urhobo-born former agitator said his Coalition worked to ensure Okowa’s victory at the polls in 2019 only for the governor to sideline him and members of his group.

Of note, Akpodoro alleged that the governor is reportedly promoting the gubernatorial ambition of a particular ethnic nationality against the Urhobo, who massively gave him their support before and after 2015 elections.

“It is on record,” according to Akpodoro, “that Chief Ibori led a perfectly united  the state, never discriminating against any group.”

Ibori was generous and as he spread appointments evenly among all groups in the state with superlative reward system for his loyalists Akpodoro said.

The time has come, he noted, for the Urhobos to know their friends. He called on the people of Delta State to rally support for Urhobo gubernatorial candidate in 2023 so as to wrest power from ‘cabal’, who he accused of emasculating other ethnic groups, particularly the Urhobo nation and we shall resist the attempt to betray the existing rotational agreement that has brought peace and harmony in the state.”

“The time has come for the people of the oil-rich state to show the current administration that Deltans and by extension, the Urhobos are not fools. We have the numerical strength in Urhobo land to decide who rules the state. In as much as we need other ethnic groups to succeed in our political drive, the Urhobos has the capacity to make bold system and shame our transducers. Nobody knows it all like the governor erroneously thinks, we shall work with other ethnic nations in the state to achieve our aim of capturing power in 2023.”

Vanguard