Ijaw youths under the aegis of Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) Worldwide, have reacted to the emergence of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State as the running mate of Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The group said the choice of Okowa as the running mate is a strategy for the people of the Niger Delta, urging aggrieved Niger Delta stakeholders to withdraw their criticisms of his emergence.
In a statement on Tuesday in Port Harcourt, IYC President, Peter Timothy Igbifa, said the choice of Okowa gives the region an opportunity of occupying the vice-presidency again.
Igbifa urged all stakeholders to unite and support the latter’s course to enable him to emerge in 2023.
According to him, “The only best political position available for us in the Niger Delta now is the running mate and Okowa has been selected to represent the region, which could have been any other. If Okowa’s PDP wins, the Niger Delta will have the opportunity of occupying the position of Vice-President again.
“The South already has two Presidential candidates from other political parties but doesn’t have any other position bigger and better than a running mate in the Peoples Democratic Party( PDP). This region’s interest is paramount.
“Pulling Okowa down amounts to rejecting the only opportunity that is available in that political party for the region, especially as the PDP is the biggest Party in the region with huge followers.
“Therefore, the region should unite and queue behind him.”
The IYC boss advised Okowa to make peace with all aggrieved stakeholders and his counterparts in the region, maintaining that he should bring the on board in all his consultations ahead of the general elections.
He said it was unfair to accuse Okowa of betraying the region since his emergence as a running mate was the decision of his political party.
“Okowa did not make himself a running mate. The PDP and the presidential candidate, Atiku, chose him. The decision of the party is always supreme and it behooves on the Delta State Governor to accept it.
“Besides, it is the prerogative of the candidate to select his running mate and since he has chosen Okowa, the only thing expected of all stakeholders is to support him.
“It is high time the Niger Delta stopped the pulldown syndrome. They should emulate their northern counterparts, who despite unfavourable political decisions, support their own,” the statement added.
