28th December, 2014
Nigeria’s ex-warlord, Mr. Government Ekpemupolo, also known as Tompolo, is emerging the undisputed strongman of Delta State politics.
He has further demonstrated his political influence, having virtually nominated the running mate to Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in Delta state, various news reports said.
Tompolo’s nominee is Kingsley Otuaro, a lawyer and commissioner at the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC) and a member of the ethnic Ijaw like Tompolo.
Although Otuaro’s name has been submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) just on time to beat the Boxing Day deadline, his emergence dislocated political calculations in the state, with Isoko ethnic minority disturbed that Tompolo stole a ticket that ought to be theirs, automatically.
The governorship candidate is from the Urhobo ethnic stock, from the northern part of the state and with Senator James Manager, an Ijaw person having gotten a re-election ticket for Delta South Senatorial district, the Isokos rightly felt that the deputy governorship slot should be theirs. Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan,who is completing his second term next May, is Itsekiri by birth.
Political stakeholders said Otuaro’s emergence grossly violated the unwritten zoning arrangement of the ruling PDP in the state among the Ijaws, Itsekiri, Isoko and Urhobo supporters.
But the stakeholders ought not be surprised by the turn of events. Tompolo was said to have singlehandedly swung the governorship primary in favour of Okowa on 8 December, despite the clear choice of Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan.
THEWILL, the online news portal reported that foremost Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark was opposed to an Ijaw deputy for Okowa.
He was thus said to be unhappy with the undue influence Tompolo was exerting in the state.
Chief Clark was also said to be worried by the likely negative effect Tompolo is creating for President Goodluck Jonathan ahead of the 2015 presidential election.