Godsday Orubebe, former minister of Niger Delta affairs has reportedly rebuffed overtures from Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, governor of Delta State following his decision to dump the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
Recall that Orubebe in a letter made public on Monday, announced his resignation from the PDP, citing impunity in the party, among others, a development said to have rattled the party’s leadership in the state.
Orubebe, in the said letter addressed to the party’s national chairman, Senator lyorchia Ayu, stated that he took the decision because he saw that the party was not ready to regain power from the ruling APC in the 2023 general elections.
“I write to formally inform you of my resignation from the People’s Democratic Party, (PDP). This has been communicated to the Chairman of Burutu Ward 3, Burutu Local Government Area, Delta State, effective 20th June 2022. Consequently, I am by this letter intimating you of my total withdrawal from all activities at the Ward, Local, State and National levels of the People’s Democratic Party, (PDP),” he wrote.
“I am highly honoured and privileged to have been part of a political party that successfully transformed a pariah nation to one that commanded respect in the comity of nations. When we lost the Presidential election in 2015 in bewildered (sic) circumstances to say the least, it was my belief that the party would use the opposition period to re-strategize with the aim of taking back power at the earliest opportunity.
“However, the present situation in the party does not inspire confidence that the party is ready to regain power in 2023. Against the mood of the nation and in complete disregard to (sic) the provisions of the party’s constitution, the party, threw the zoning of the Presidency open, which created a situation that led to the emergence of a Northerner as the party’s Presidential flag bearer, thus making the two topmost positions in the party, after your emergence as the National Chairman, to be occupied by Northerners, contrary to section 7.3(c) of the party’s constitution.”
A close associate of the former minister disclosed that few hours that Orubebe’s letter was dropped at the party’s national headquarters in Abuja, Okowa started calling him on phone.
“Okowa called him (Orubebe), a number of times. I was right there with Orubebe when all the calls from Okowa were coming, but Orubebe rebuffed all the calls,” the source who craved anonymity said.
“As the governor’s calls were coming in, Orubebe was asking, ‘when last did Governor Okowa call me, ‘and whether it was now he (Okowa) knew someone like Orubebe existed in the PDP.”
Orubebe’s defection came barely five days after Okowa was picked as a running mate to the PDP’s presidential flag bearer in the forthcoming 2023 general elections, Atiku Abubakar.
Okowa continues to battle rejection from several quarters. In a statement last week, elder statesmen, Edwin Clark, leader of Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF; Ayo Adebanjo, leader, Afenifere; Dru Bitrus, President-General, Middle Belt Forum; and Ambassador George Obiozor, President-General, Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide, accused him of betraying the Southern region by accepting the VP slot.