Delta North Media Team Urges Okowa to Step Down and Support Nwoko

By Henry Umoru

As the 2027 general elections approach, former Delta State governor Senator Ifeanyi Okowa has been urged to abandon his senatorial bid for Delta North in a move that the media team says reflects true statesmanship.

A statement issued on Tuesday by Senator Ned Nwoko’s media team claimed that the 2023 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) vice‑presidential candidate should step down and back the incumbent Senator Nwoko, citing President Bola Tinubu as an example of a leader who built others’ careers rather than clinging to power.

The media team argues that such actions demonstrate enduring leadership and a commitment to strengthening the system beyond personal ambition.

The statement, titled “The Case of Ned Nwoko and Ifeanyi Okowa: Let history speak before ambition rewrites it,” reads: “There is something more dangerous than ignorance in politics, and that is deliberate distortion of facts dressed up as wisdom. The kind that hopes people will forget too quickly and accept a rewritten script as truth. But history is stubborn. It does not bend to convenience, and it does not forget those who stood firm when it mattered. So let us walk this road carefully and chronologically, because when facts are laid bare, it becomes clear that the attempt to recast political history in Delta North is not only dishonest but deeply insulting to the intelligence of the people.”

“To begin with, while Senator Ned Nwoko was already serving as a member of the House of Representatives between 1999 and 2003, operating within the inner political circle of the then Governor, Chief James Ibori, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa was still working his way up the ladder, positioning himself for a commissioner role. It is therefore safe to say that at that time, Ned Nwoko did not even operate within the same political orbit as Okowa. One was already seated at the table where decisions were being made, while the other was still seeking entry into the room. You do not claim to have raised a man who had already become a father before you met him.”

“Okowa’s eventual rise to become a two‑term governor of Delta State did not happen in isolation, nor was it a product of personal political magic. It was built on a foundation that many contributed to, but few sacrificed for as deeply as Senator Ned Nwoko did. By 2014, ahead of the 2015 general elections, the political climate in Delta North had reached a decisive moment. The then Asagba of Asaba, His Royal Majesty Professor Chike Edozien, took the historic step of constituting an Anioma think tank with one clear mission to ensure that Anioma would finally produce a governor. At that time, the political structure leaned heavily towards David Edevbie, who was widely regarded as Chief Ibori’s preferred candidate. A series of high‑level meetings followed, attended consistently by Senator Ned Nwoko alongside respected figures such as Uche Okpunor, Chief Uzor, and others committed to the Anioma governorship agenda. After careful deliberation, the think tank settled on supporting Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa. Senator Ned Nwoko was placed in charge of mobilising Aniocha North delegates.”

“On the very day of the primaries, those delegates were gathered at his country home in Idumuje‑Ugboko, awaiting his coordination. Then came a moment that would break most men. That same morning, Ned received a call from London — the police informing him that his son had passed away. He died in his sleep, and an autopsy later confirmed heart failure. There are moments in life that test not just strength, but the very soul of a man, and this was one of them.”

“Faced with the choice of abandoning the political process to be with his grieving family or staying back to secure Anioma’s collective aspiration, Ned made a decision that history must never forget. He stayed. He steadied himself, coordinated the delegates, ensured that Okowa emerged victorious at the primaries, and only then travelled to join his family in mourning. Okowa went on to win the governorship election, and Anioma finally produced a governor. That outcome did not come cheap; it was paid for with tough sacrifice and commitment. To now see that same political journey being rewritten is not just unfortunate, it is a betrayal of memory itself. Truly, memory is the first casualty of ambition.”

“Fast forward to the 2019 elections, and the political atmosphere told its own story. It was common knowledge within Delta political circles that Okowa was not supporting Senator Ned Nwoko’s senatorial ambition. The alignment of forces made it clear that the system had tilted elsewhere. The primaries were anything but fair, and the path ahead for Ned was deliberately made difficult. At that moment, fate placed before him an alternative that many politicians would have embraced without hesitation. He was offered the APC senatorial ticket, backed by strong assurances that would have made his campaign seamless. Financial guarantees, commitments to settle long‑standing federal obligations owed to him, and even the promise of a ministerial position should the election not go his way. In a political environment where loyalty is often transactional, this would have been an easy crossing.”

“After all, as they say, in politics there are no permanent friends, only permanent interests. Yet, Senator Ned Nwoko chose the harder road. He understood the fragile political balance of Delta North and recognised that his defection would not just affect him personally but could destabilise the PDP’s hold and potentially cost Anioma its governorship. He weighed personal gain against collective interest and chose the latter. A man who understands where the rain began to beat him knows exactly where to seek shelter.”

“Even when the primaries produced an outcome many regarded as unjust, Ned refused to burn down the house because of a leaking roof. Instead, he collapsed his campaign structure and directed his Director General, Leonard Ogugua Esegbue, to return to the drawing board and design a strategy for supporting Okowa’s re‑election. From that moment of sacrifice, Operation Return Okowa (ORO) was born.”

“What followed was a full‑scale, well‑funded political operation. Senator Ned Nwoko funded the movement with over a billion naira, disbursed in tranches of hundreds of millions, a fact that Leonard Esegbue himself can attest to. He funded virtually all the support groups, coordinated grassroots mobilisation, and sponsored the movement of market women across the nine local government areas of Delta North, ensuring they followed the PDP campaign train across all twenty‑five local government areas of the state. Beyond that, he extended support across key professional and social bodies, making substantial donations to groups such as the NUJ, NUT, and NBA. Notably, he financed the completion of the NBA building in Asaba, donating over N30 million, in a bid to secure institutional support for the party’s broader objective.”

“The gesture was not only acknowledged but immortalised, as the building was eventually referenced in his honour upon completion. He was at the centre of it all,