In the fight for the three Delta State 2027 senatorial tickets, individual popularity, pedigree, and track record among aspirants may take back seats in determining who picks the tickets of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, for Delta North, Delta South and Central districts.

Going by the permutations, the party’s structure under the grip of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori would decide the tickets, except there is an intervention by President Bola Tinubu.

Okowa turns heat on Nwoko in Delta North

For the Delta North seat, the battle is clearly between incumbent occupant, Senator Ned Nwoko, and immediate past Governor and 2023 Vice Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa with former Delta State House of Assembly Speaker, Victor Ochei, on the wings.

Before now, Nwoko seemed unstoppable to grab the party’s ticket and was almost assured of victory in the general polls to retain his seat.

However, the entrance of Okowa has changed the narrative, and is putting the heat on Nwoko. Despite having given a good account of himself in his first term, when it comes to mastery of political language, self-preservation, long years of experience, network, connections and pedigree, the former governor appears to tower above Nwoko.

Okowa displayed his popularity the day he took his consultation to stakeholders in Oshimili South Local council, a supposed stronghold of Nwoko.

Taking the floor on the occasion, Okowa committed the better part of his remarks to slam Nwoko on perceived “deception, ulterior motive and misleading” of stakeholders in Nwoko’s championing of the quest for Anioma State.

The clear intention was to neutralise supposed gains Nwoko had made in his outstanding efforts at actualising Anioma State, by every calculation his best selling point and signature campaign message to win votes of Delta North electorate.

Going into the primaries, the major weakness for Okowa remains the bad blood he created among stakeholders with his failed 2023 Vice Presidential bid under then state ruling PDP and the general resentment that he allegedly concentrated development and empowerment projects on his Ika land while he was serving as governor.

However, these individual strengths and weaknesses may count less at the primaries.

APC chieftain, Akporehe, urges Deltans to replace incumbent Senator, Reps member in Delta South

According to a Delta North party chieftain and close associate of the governor, “On the scale of delegates preference, Okowa is primed to have the ticket. No two ways about it.

“It’s all payback time. It’s transactional between Okowa and the incumbent governor. Okowa sacrificed all it took, stepping on toes to ensure Oborevwori succeeded him as governor.

“Now is the appointed time to return the favour. The governor owns the structure. He came into the APC from a place of strength, transmuting his PDP state chairman into APC chairman

“Don’t forget, despite now being in the same APC with Nwoko, the scars of Nwoko’s scathing abuse of the governor as incompetent and unfit for the office in their past bitter quarrel remains visible to the governor.

“So, for both Okowa and Nwoko, it is payback time for Oborevwori but in different measures: positive for Okowa, negative for Nwoko. The odds clearly favour Okowa as the governor will unleash the structure to shut out Nwoko.”

Aware of the situation, resilient Nwoko knows his only joker rests with President Tinubu’s nod and he is said to be exploring this factor to upset Okowa.

“The only way Okowo will lose Delta North to Nwoko is if President Tinibu invokes Olusegun Obasanjo’s ‘K-Leg’ into the ticket as witnessed in Rivers State in 2007 to deny Rotimi Amaechi after then Governor Peter Odili handed Amaechi the ticket. Ameachi’s mandate was later restored by the Supreme Court.”

Getting even with Okowa, Nwoko recently sought President Tinubu’s support to avoid losing “this country to same hands that almost sold Delta State to take you out of power in the 2023 presidential election all in the name of seeking not only your seat but also the seat of Vice President Kashim Shettima, under the guise of PDP vice presidential candidate. APC, wisdom is sweet when knowledge is applied for understanding to prevail.”

Omo-Agege squares up against Dafinone in Delta Central

In Delta Central, it is a straight fight between former Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege and incumbent Senator Ede Dafinone.

It will be interesting to see who Governor Oborevwori will support between the duo.

In 2023, Oborevwori, an Urhobo from Okpe, who was running for the governorship on the platform of the PDP, campaigned against Dafinone, who also hails from the same Okpe Kingdom.

During 2023 elections campaigns, against Dafinone’s ticket under APC, Oborevwori, while addressing Okpe supporters, said: “Anybody from Okpe Kingdom that did not vote for Ighota Amori (then PDP candidate) is evil. Clearly, Okpe Kingdom cannot have the two. The Senate is going to Ethiope (LGA). So vote for Amori.”

Oborevwori’s context of Okpe not having the two was that Okpe-speaking Urhobo, spread across two of Delta Central’s eight LGAs, cannot produce both him(governor) and Dafinone(senator) at the same time.

Against Oborevwori’s warning, he and Dafinone won the 2023 elections as Governor and Senator Representing Delta Central respectively. Those Oborevwori labeled ‘evil’ voters in Okpe supported both of their sons to victory on different party platforms.

Under another election circle, the permutations are different. In 2023, Oborevwori could not stop fellow Okpe man becoming Delta Central Senator because Dafinone ran with an opposition APC ticket.

Today, Dafinone is gunning for a re-election ticket under the same APC platform as the Governor.

Without Oborevwori pulling the party structure to queue behind him, Dafinone may find it difficult against Omo-Agege, arguably the most intimidating contender for the APC Central Senate ticket.

The question arises. Will Oborevwori stop Dafinone from winning the Delta Central APC ticket in his resolve not to allow two Okpe sons emerge governor and senator again?

The Governor wasn’t present when Dafinone made the Ughelli declaration for re-election, but the charged atmosphere showed where his support was tilted. His confidant and estranged political disciple of Sen Omo-Agege, Hon Jaro Egbo, Ughelli North LG boss pronounced the declaration on behalf of Dafinone.

With founding Delta APC leader and serial aspirant, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor dumping his ambition again to pull weight behind Dafinone, the odds are chokingly against Omo-Agege.

A Delta Central APC chieftain noted: “People say Omo-Agege is hated for being withdrawn in activities of Delta APC under Oborevwori’s leadership. They accuse him of being selfish in public office.

“None of these claims is the reason they so alienate him. The Deputy President of the 9th Senate is the most outstanding Urhoboman to have occupied that office under this nascent democracy. The current party structure is intimidated by Omo-Agege’s aura and his connection to the centre.

“Oborevwori wants to progress to the Senate at the end of his second tenure. He needs a weaker occupant to hold forth Central’s Senate seat till then. Dafinone is his best bet. He can’t trust Omo-Agege to give him that hope.”

Like the odds against Delta North’s Nwoko, only a presidential intervention can win it for Omo-Agege. Delta Central APC structure is all for Dafinone with the Governor looking to recant on his resolve that the ‘governor and Senator can’t come from Okpe.”

Thomas in comfort zone in Delta South

Among the three serving Delta senators, Joel-Onowakpor Thomas seems the most hopeful in his reelection bid, running on a less pressurized opposition space.

Unlike Dafinone and Nwoko, the Senator representing Delta South district is not up against any formidable opposition in the weight of Omo-Agege or Okowa. One critical factor has created this comfort zone for Senator Thomas.

By the tacit rotation of Delta governorship among the three senatorial districts, it’s Delta South’s turn to produce the governor in 2031. Ijaw are bent on having it.

With Itsekiri having enjoyed the first Delta South governorship when Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan succeeded Chief James Ibiri, Ijaw have only Isoko to contend with in 2031.

To enjoy soft-landing in 2031, Ijaw have chosen to insulate themselves from contesting the Delta South Senate seat from 2023 through 2031. And their votes will go to Isoko in mutual understanding that Isoko will return the favour for the 2031 governorship.

Since 1999, the Ijaw-Isoko alliance has denied Istekiri a taste of the Delta South Senate seat. The deprivation has been the price Itsekiri pay for equally denying Ijaw and Urhobo of Warri a taste of the Warri Federal Constituency seat and Warri Local Government chairmanship which Itsekiri perpetually occupy like their birthright.

With these oddities playing to his favour, coupled with the support of the governor’s structure, Senator Thomas seems all primed to pick the Delta South ticket.

“Even on his home soil, the endorsement by the Isoko Development Union, IDU, apex social cultural leadership organs of the Isoko, is enough proof Thomas has no home trouble going into the APC primaries.

“Not even Jay Ogor comes close in his exuberance to contest the APC ticket with Thomas. Leo Ogor enjoyed 20 uninterrupted years Representing Isoko Federal Constituency in the National Assembly as a ranking member.

“His younger brother, Jay, cannot come now to be fighting to represent Isoko at the Senate. We don’t lack capable hands. Isoko has spoken. Delta South 2027 Senate seat is for Sen Thomas to retain,” another Isoko APC chieftain said. (Vanguard)

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