Former Governor James Ibori is not on President Bola Tinubu’s yet to be unveiled ministerial list but there is apprehension in political circles in Delta State that he has nominated a yet to be unveiled proxy as the ministerial nominee for the state.
Read more at:https://hobnobnews.com/2023/07/23/ibori-not-on-tinubus-ministerial-list-but/
Hobnob News gathered that quarelling factions of the All Progressives Congress, APC in Delta State who had been shadowing themselves with the expectation of outdoing one another by nominating the ministerial nominee for the state are now sunken with the reports that the former governor may have clinched the honour.The identity of the nominee supposedly put forward by the former governor, however, remains a mystery even as assertions that Ibori made the nomination are yet to be confirmed.The APC in Delta State is riven into many tendencies but broadly divided between those aligned to Senator Ovie Omo-Agege and his political foes who are, however, scattered into many tendencies.To spoil the chances of the Omo-Agege tendency clinching the nomination, one of his more visible traducers, Dr Cairo Ojougboh through his faction had alleged that the former deputy president of the Senate did not actively support Tinubu in the primaries and the main election. The claims have, however, been rebuffed by the Omo-Agege faction which has gone the length of producing pictorials and news reports of his support of Tinubu ahead of the February 25 election.
However, the Ojougboh camp and other critics of Omo-Agege have persisted in the loud whisper that Omo-Agege was a close pally of Senator Ahmad Lawan who contested against Tinubu for the APC presidential ticket.
They claim that Omo-Agege would have served as his running mate in the event that Senator Orji Kalu was not found suitable.
With the Omo-Agege camp smeared with taint of Lawan, the opponents of the former deputy president in the state have, however, been unable to coalesce themselves into a formidable group to challenge the ascendancy of Omo-Agege in the state chapter of the party. The leadership of the party in the state was once described by Olorogun Festus Keyamo to be populated with Omo-Agege’s houseboys and house girls.
Hobnob News reports that the confusion in the state chapter of the party may have provided an opening for Ibori to show relevance. Ibori was also helped by his opposition to his former protegee, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa in the presidential and governorship elections.
Ibori has since the inauguration of Tinubu also tried to identify himself with the president posting pictures of his interactions with the president. It is a feat that his political rivals in the state have not been able to project.
However, with the ex-convict toga hanging on Ibori, he may not be nominated a minister but the prospect of him projecting an ally into Tinubu’s ministerial list to represent Delta State is one that has now left APC operatives in the state grasping for breath.
