ASABA/Nigeria: The Delta State Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has responded swiftly and comprehensively to the latest press statement by the opposition All Progressives Congress, APC, titled “Guber Zoning: Deltans Deserves Apology From Okowa And PDP; Delta APC, Says Deltans Are Wiser Now” signed by Sylvester Imonina, Esq.
Publicity Secretary (Caretaker) APC Delta State, describing the APC as ignorant and wondering what the opposition party’s business is with the internal democracy of PDP.
A Press Release signed by Delta PDP State Publicity Secretary, Dr. Ifeanyi Osuoza, reads: “Our attention has been drawn to the latest Press Statement by the All Progressives Congress, APC in the State and it is rather unfortunate that whoever is advising the APC is not only ignorant of the Politics of Delta State, but truly lacks the knowledge and understanding of the internal mechanisms of political parties.
“Again, we are amazed that only a couple of days ago, the APC cried and railed to high heavens with the misinformation that Governor Okowa who is a member of PDP wants to impose a Governor on Delta State, even going as far as accusing the Delta Governor of playing God.
“Today, the same APC is now suddenly crying again but this time about the internal zoning arrangement in the PDP and demanding an apology over what is, without doubt, a badly cooked up rumour, which only the APC, as a devious and dubious political party is capable of spreading.
“We note, however, with some satisfaction, that the APC admitted in its own press statement that it was completely against the PDP zoning arrangement when it was mooted years ago, but is now accusing the PDP of trying to deceive Deltans by attempting to abandon the same zoning arrangement it had already criticized vehemently in the past.
Haba! APC. Like our local proverb says: ‘Will you be a witch and a also mad person at the same time?’
“Without wanting to join issues with the APC, let us get immediately to the point by, first of all, repeating verbatim, what Governor Ifeanyi Okowa said in the quarterly meeting with Delta Journalists in Government House, Asaba, that the APC is now attempting to misinterpret.
Governor Okowa said in part: “There was no formal meeting where a gentleman agreement was reached and that is the truth as of today. It means that whatever we are doing or talking about today is about what is fair, what is equitable, and how to define what is fair and what is equitable are hinged on justice.
“It’s only God Almighty that knows who will be governor after me. I cannot pretend to be God, for I am not; I don’t know who God is going to bring and I don’t have the intention of playing the role of God. You will hear a lot more things just as they said I want to handover to an Ijaw man; I don’t think that I have the strength to play God but the issue is when the politics starts, politics will be played and God almighty will take the decision on who will be governor.
“But as I said, at some point in time as a political party, because I can only speak for my party, we will sit down to look at issues to find out what truly will be fair, what truly will be justified, and what should equity really mean.”
The above is very clear and succinctly translatable, even if the APC wants to translate it with vernacular. And since the APC has decided to meddle in the internal affairs of PDP, let us briefly examine the APC itself in Delta State and leave Deltans to conclude for themselves, if indeed this is a political party that has the interest, welfare, and the objectives of ensuring Equity, fairness, and justice for all Deltans who are members of the party, at heart
