By
Evans Ufeli Esq
In the ever-turbulent riots of Delta State politics, the names Sheriff Oborevwori and Ifeanyi Okowa have recently assumed larger-than-life status. Both men—distinct in their paths, yet eerily similar in their betrayals and ambitions—stand today as living examples of prodigality in Nigerian public life: men who, despite receiving immense political trust and opportunity, strayed in ways that have left lasting ripple effects across the state.
Ifeanyi Okowa, former governor of Delta State, began his journey with the aura of a healer and technocrat. For many Deltans, he represented a promise of competent leadership—steady, thoughtful, and mindful of the delicate ethnic and economic balances within the state. Okowa’s rise was marked by a reputation for calculated patience and bridge-building. For a time, it seemed he understood that reconciliation, not division, was the true way forward.
But as his second term approached its close, Okowa’s ambitions leapt from the banks of Delta to the central torrents of Nigeria’s national politics. His decision to become Atiku Abubakar’s vice-presidential candidate for the 2023 elections caught many—especially in the South—off-guard and feeling betrayed. Expectations were high that he would robustly champion the clamor for a southern presidency, reinforcing his region’s collective bargaining power. Instead, his acceptance of the ticket with Atiku was widely viewed as a personal gamble and, to some, an abandonment of the dreams and solidarity of his own people. For many, Okowa’s move was a prodigal act—sacrificing communal aspiration in pursuit of individual ambition.
Sheriff Oborevwori’s trajectory, though less national, mirrors Okowa’s in many ways. As Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Sheriff climbed the ranks as a loyalist, capitalizing on the conflicts and compromises rife in Delta’s unique brand of politics. When it came time to pick Okowa’s successor, many expected a transparent, merit-based process. What transpired instead was a bruising political war in which Sheriff emerged as Okowa’s chosen candidate—not necessarily through the winning of hearts and minds, but often through backstage deals, controversial court cases, and allegations of godfatherism.
Rather than break from the old script of subservience to the godfather, Sheriff’s governorship appeared, at least to critics, as an extension of Okowa’s shadow—a continuation of policies and patronage, more than an assertion of independent vision. For many in Delta State, Sheriff’s willingness to play second fiddle—sacrificing opportunity for real leadership in favor of expediency and loyalty—was itself a form of prodigal waste: a squandering of the faith placed in him by those who wanted change, only to receive more of the same.
What binds the two men in this tale of prodigality is not just ambition, but the way that ambition turned inward. Both were given platforms to lead, to chart different paths for Delta State and its people. Yet, in the critical moments, both seemed to choose narrow loyalty and personal advancement over courageous representation or transformative governance.
Okowa, whose arc swerved toward Abuja even as his state looked to him for unwavering advocacy. Sheriff, who swiftly slipped into the pattern of old-guard deference when he could have risked forging a new legacy.
In so doing, both spent the political capital—they inherited: trust, goodwill, a mandate for progress. What returns now are echoes of disappointment and the difficult task of restoring faith in leadership, especially among young and disenfranchised Deltans.
This is the tale of prodigals not because either man cannot find their way home, but because home—the state and the people—has changed. Ideals have been tested, and voters are watching with sharper eyes. The ease with which political actors pivot between principles and expediency is no longer lost on the public.
Sheriff Oborevwori and Ifeanyi Okowa are not the first, nor will they be the last, to wander from the path of selfless leadership. But they are reminders that prodigality is not only material or moral, but political: it is the squandering of potential, of hope, of the collective trust that democracy requires to thrive.
For Delta State, the challenge is not merely awaiting the return of prodigal leaders, but building a political culture where loyalty to the people, not to individual power-brokers, is what matters most. Only then will the cycle of prodigality be broken, and the true journey home begin.
I shall go to Rabbi again.
