Top Ijaw politicians from the various communities in Delta State rose from a closed door meeting in Warri on Monday night declaring that from their wide consultations across the state, the coast was clear for a governor of Ijaw extraction in Delta come 2023.

The PUNCH gathered that ahead of the 2023 general election, the Ijaw for Governor Lobby team led by Alaowei Bozimo, a former Minister of Police Affairs, had convened the meeting.

Bozimo had reportedly invited the governorship aspirants of Ijaw extraction to the gathering where series of issues of common interests were tabled and discussed among the critical stakeholders that massively attended the parley.

It was gathered that notable Ijaw governorship aspirants in attendance at the closed door meeting included the Deputy Governor of Delta State, Kingsley Otuaro; the Senator representing Delta South Senatorial District, Senator James Manager; as well as Dr BraduceAngozi, represented by his wife, Mrs Angozi.

Other prominent Ijaw sons and daughters at the forum comprised, among others, Gen. Broderick Demeyeibo (Rtd), Preyor Oboro, member representing Bomadi; Pullah Ekpotughayerin, member representing Burutu constituency 2 in the House of Assembly; Emomotimi Guwor, member representing Warri South-West and Joel Bisina, a former commissioner in the state.

Briefing journalists at the end of their deliberations, Bozimo, stated that “after X-raying the consultations so far and the responses from Deltans, it is certain that the coast is clear for the Ijaws to produce the next governor of the state”.

He added that “the Ijaws should not be seen as only good at supporting others to produce governors only, but deserved to be supported by other ethnic nationalities to be governor.

Bozimo declared, “We have been on the move consulting on behalf of the Ijaw nation to produce the governor in Delta State come 2023, we started since May 2021 and we have covered huge grounds.

“The responses have been good, we are all excited as Ijaw people. We have discovered that the governorship office of Delta State is just there for us to take. So we came here to give report to Ijaw nation, particularly the young people that are fit for 2023 governorship election. This gathering of conviviality and the electrifying love displayed by our aspirants is so exciting.

“Deltans, this is the era for the Ijaws to rule this State. Delta Ijaws have supported others in becoming governors of the state hence it is now our time to also enjoy the support of others to produce the next governor of the state. We have consulted and I can assure you that the coast is now clear.

“The final resolution from the meeting will not be disclosed for now because we are still strategising but we are united.”

Bozimo commended the Ijaw political leaders, traditional rulers and various ethnic nationalities leaderships in Delta State for their positive responses, noting that a new era of uncommon transformational leadership is in the making come 2023. (The PUNCH: Excludes headline)

Update news