By Tony Harry
The popular maxim of equity postulates the clean hands doctrine; which states that one “who comes into equity must come with clean hands.”
This doctrine requires the court to deny equitable relief to a party who has violated good faith with respect to the subject of the claim.
The subject of the claim by the Itsekiri bloc of the Delta South Senatorial District is that Ijaw cannot have the Speaker of Delta State House of Assembly and still produce the State PDP Chairman; this demand is strange, as the practice did not start with Amgbaduba’s aspiration.
There has been Isoko/Isoko Speaker and State Chairman, there has been Anioma/Anioma Speaker and State Chairman and there has been Urhobo/Urhobo Speaker and State Chairman; all these from the same Federal Constituency.
Why breach the status quo in the PDP? The question of why and another question of who should produce now arise? Is there equity in Itsekiri’s claim to the office?
In 2003, Delta South produced the Governor without any form of stakeholders meeting to determine which ethnic group in the region should, the then Governor; picked his cousin from Itsekiri and that was end of discussion.
The Ijaws, Isokos and Urhobos of Delta South backed the Itsekiris to have their own as Governor and there was no contention about EQUITY!
Since creation of Warri Federal Constituency, no Ijaw or Urhobo person has ever represented the Constituency at National Assembly, it has been all Itsekiri affair till date; where is EQUITY?
Since creation of Warri South West, only the current Speaker is the Ijaw man has ever emerged as Member, House of Assembly. Only Itsekiris have always been Council Chairman, and the Ijaws always supported them.
Since creation of Warri North Constituency, only Itsekiris have produced House of Assembly Members, Council Chairmen, until Captian Smart Asakutu’s nomination for one term as Chairman broke the jinx; till date, there are two Commissioners appointed in the Constituency and both are Itsekiris, where is EQUITY?
Since creation of Warri South Constituency, Itsekiris have always been Council Chairman and House of Assembly and Ijaws have always supported them; where has EQUITY travelled to?
The reign of Ijaw in the Senate began in 2003, after Isoko held it for one term, but in 2023 Itsekiri was given the PDP ticket, Ijaws supported their candidate but he lost.
To hand over the Senate to Iteskiri, which already dominates the political landscape of Delta South, particularly the Constituencies they co-exist with Ijaws, should give Ijaws more stake in government in this dispensaton. That’s EQUITY!
The State PDP Chairmanship position should not be seen as Ijaw vs Itsekiri political contest, but Delta South should be united to support Ijaw as this entrenches EQUITY in Delta South.
