April 24, (THEWILL) — Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s ascent to the apex of Delta State politics is a testament to the undeniable political capital of his predecessor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa. As a former Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Oborevwori’s elevation to the governorship was underwritten by Okowa’s sponsorship. In return, Governor Oborevwori has paid his dues with unflinching loyalty. He has acted as a formidable buffer for his predecessor, notably shielding Okowa from the intense fallout of the EFCC’s investigations into the alleged diversion of ₦1.3 trillion in 13% derivation funds, and most recently, facilitating the unprecedented mass defection of the state’s political structure into the All Progressives Congress (APC).
However, loyalty has its limits, and a governor’s first term cannot indefinitely remain an extension of a predecessor’s political positioning. The recent transition into the APC offers a natural inflexion point. Now, ahead of his second-term bid, the time has come for Governor Oborevwori to unequivocally assert his own political authority, disinherit the torrid legacy of Okowa’s exclusive politics and build an independent legacy anchored on statewide unity.
The Unending Ambition: Okowa’s Two-Decade Grip on Delta to understand the necessity of Oborevwori’s independence, one must examine the monopolistic nature of Ifeanyi Okowa’s political career. For nearly a quarter of a century, Okowa has maintained a relentless grip on the levers of power in Delta State. Delta North, and indeed the entire state, has served as a perpetual pressure point to feed his unending ambition to hold office.
Ifeanyi Okowa’s Political Positions (1999–2023):
1999 – 2001: Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources
2001 – 2003: Commissioner for Water Resources Development
2003 – 2006: Commissioner for Health
2007 – 2010: Secretary to the State Government (SSG)
2011 – 2015: Senator, Delta North Senatorial District
2015 – 2023: Two-Term Executive Governor of Delta State
2023: PDP Vice-Presidential Candidate
Since the dawn of the Fourth Republic, Okowa has been heavily embedded in the state’s executive and legislative framework. Yet, rather than leveraging this immense privilege to build a unified political family, his tenure as governor was marked by a gradual, hostile takeover of the party machinery that systematically purged independent voices and alienated key architects of Delta’s democratic foundations.
The Politics of Alienation and Exclusion: Okowa’s political methodology in his final years as governor transformed from coalition-building to a zero-sum game of exclusion. To consolidate absolute power and secure Oborevwori’s succession, Okowa aggressively dismantled the traditional power blocs that had historically stabilised Delta State politics.
Chief James Ibori: The undisputed godfather of modern Delta politics, Ibori’s political family was unceremoniously sidelined. Okowa’s hostile posturing during the 2023 primaries, directly undermining Ibori’s influence, fractured the very foundation that originally brought Okowa to national prominence.
Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan: Okowa’s immediate predecessor found his legacy marginalised and his loyalists frozen out of the state’s power corridors, signalling that the new administration had no room for shared glory.
Rt. Hon. Victor Ochei: A former Speaker of the House of Assembly with immense grassroots appeal, Ochei was alienated by the restrictive, sole-administrator style of the Okowa political machine, forcing his early exit from the PDP fold into the APC in 2015.
Senator Ned Nwoko: Despite his clout and popularity in Delta North, Nwoko has continually had to navigate the friction and subtle resistance of an Okowa faction determined to remain the sole voice and ultimate clearinghouse for the Anioma people.
This legacy of hatred and political isolationism severely wounded the fabric of the state. It created a toxic environment where loyalty to the state was conflated with subservience to one man’s overarching ambition. The Imperative for a Sheriff Legacy
The mass movement into the APC presents Governor Oborevwori with a golden opportunity. He is now the sitting Governor and the highest-ranking political leader of a new ruling party in the state. He no longer needs to be a hostage to Okowa’s future political adventures or his defensive battles against anti-graft agencies. Governor Oborevwori has overpaid his debt of gratitude. He absorbed the political heat of the ₦1.3 trillion EFCC allegations and managed the complex logistics of cross-carpeting.
Now, continuing to operate as an appendage of the Okowa structure is a disservice to the mandate given to him by Deltans.
Charting a New Course:
Rebuilding Alliances: Oborevwori must use his leadership position in the APC to reconcile with Okowa alienated heavyweights like Ibori, Uduaghan, Ochei, and Nwoko. A broad-based coalition will secure his second term far more effectively than the shrinking, isolated faction of his predecessor.
Statewide Unity: He must pivot from the exclusionary tactics of the past Okowa eight
years and govern with an inclusive mandate that heals the senatorial districts rather than pitting them against one another.
Asserting Independence: Delta North cannot be continually held to ransom by Okowa’s shadow. Oborevwori must empower new, progressive leadership across the districts attuned to President Bola Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda, proving that his administration is driven by progressive governance, not retroactive godfatherism.
Governor Oborevwori is uniquely positioned to redefine Delta State politics. By decisively stepping out of the political shadow of Ifeanyi Okowa, he can discard a legacy built on alienation and construct one defined by genuine state-wide unity and unencumbered development. The time to take the reins is now.
Omobola Omonla Itaye (The Last Bendelite) writes from Abuja.
