By Frank Iroroh
Team Hillary, as the group promoting the political aspirations of Hillary Ibegbulem (PhD) is referred to, has done much in their audacious task of selling their Principal to voters in Ika Federal Constituency and parts of Delta North.
They have organized a series of rallies in the district, mounted billboards in strategic locations around the zone, and are everywhere on social media promoting the pedigree of their principal as being the only individual in the zone capable of challenging the Anioma gold standard the Most Distinguished Senator Ned Munir Nwoko (SNMN) in the 2027 Delta North Senatorial election.
They are daily shadowboxing SNMN, my principal; this aroused my interest and curiosity to do a little research on the group to know what is motivating them to start campaigning for an election that is two and half years ahead.
My findings revealed that they harbored multiple grievances against their former boss, Ekwueme Gburugburu of the crumbling Delta PDP.
Their grudge against the PDP maximum leader includes but is not limited to;
- They are very angry that after being in the trench with him both in rain and shine for many years, championing his political ambition, the first thing he did after assumption of office as governor of Delta State was to bring Charles Aniagwu from nowhere to take the Ika North East commissionership slot, and whom he continued to project under governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s Ukodo (pepper soup) government, thus leaving them scrambling for crumbs in a government they sacrificed so much to bring about.
- They are very annoyed that their authoritarian leader has continued to impose Victor Nwokolo on the Ika Federal Constituency for fourth terms while they stood aloof and watched as the dumb ash slumbered on the floor of the Green Chamber without a single act of parliament credited to him for fourteen years. Victor now leads the anti-Aanioma creation thugs in Ikaland
- Some are sad that he imposed Tony Elekeokwuri, a total stranger, on them as Ika North East LGA’s State Assembly Rep.
- Some are very unhappy that he has continued to project Kingsley Emu (PhD), eka chingum who they claimed was far away in Lagos when the struggle began especially during the thick and thin of the early elections
- Their anger was exacerbated when he imposed his daughter Marylin Okowa-Daramola on them as Ika North East LGA’s State assembly Rep after easing Elekeokwuri out. It must be pointed out that Okowa opposed Hon. Doris Uboh for House of Rep Ika Federal Constituency and kicked against Dr. Mariam Ali (Enyi Kpakpando, Ahaba) for Delta North Senate, on the ground that they are married to non-indigenes but when it comes to his daughter who is also married to a non-indigene, he shifts the goal post, change the rules.
- The last straw that broke the camel’s back, according to them, was when he installed an unknown ex-police officer as the current chairman of Ika North East Local Government Council. It is hard to believe that the despotic leader could not find anybody among his core political family the Otu Nmunne group worthy of political elevation.
It was at this point that some of his henchmen began to realize that the man they so much loved and considered a political mentor regarded them as pieces of trash.
This is what led people like Barr. E. A Uzum of Okowability fame threw his much adored and much adorned Okowability muffler into the trashcan, followed by Chief G Ogadi (Omola), who provided a place for them to start their political journey.
Legend Hotel owned by Chief Ogadi was where they took off. Chief Ogadi was once the General Officer Commanding Okowa’s political field operations,
But the Lion, as Hilary is popularly called, does not want to go quietly like others; instead, he goes for the emperor’s jugular, possibly to force him into early retirement from active politics.
Today, the Lion controls the Ekwueme’s media team, and all the PDP youths in Ika Federal Constituency are in his kitty, including some elders who often sneak into his house to secretly pledge their allegiance and support.
Right now there is trouble in Okowa’s paradise. The authoritarian despot is in a dilemma on how to handle the Lion, his last bastion of hope for political relevance.
Team Hilary is not relenting in putting the heat on him through appeasement by patronizing him with praises, subtle blackmail, and outright threats.
They are persuading him with sweet words to peacefully hand his political structure to Hilary. Sometimes they use subtle words to let him know that they mean business
Their slogan Okowa Let Hilary Go speaks volumes of their intentions.
The question is why did they start campaigning so early for an election that is far away?
The answer to this puzzling question is not farfetched.
Available information revealed that a powerful political ally of the Delta PDP emperor from Aniocha North LGA, who came to commiserate with him following his arrest and detention by the anti-graft agency, the EFCC over the alleged diversion of N1.3tn derivation fund, had courageously walked up to the PDP thin-god and whispered to his ears that the EFCC case was politically motivated intended to jeopardize his plan to return to the Senate in 2027, the PDP political heavyweight went further to let him understand that the voters in Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency, would not support the idea of replacing SNMN with anybody from Ika Federal Constituency. It was said that further consultations were made amongst his inner caucus in Delta North, where they agreed to support Ndudi Elumelu to unseat SNMN in 2027, based on the ground that voters resentment will be less, Ndudi being from the same
LGA with the Touch Bearer of Anioma
Renaissance
However, this did not go down well with Team Hilary, who insisted that Ika Federal Constituency had not completed its senatorial tenure and sounded it loud and clear to the ears of Okowa, that if he feels he is handicapped to contest the 2027 Delta North Senate seat, he should let Hillary go.
All their rallies and media fireworks are muscle flexing and shows of strength directed at Okowa to demonstrate to him that they have all it takes to challenge SNMN.
But Ndudi, the anointed candidate is not sleeping either. He is equally demonstrating his strengths. We are now seeing pictures and video clips of him commissioning arrays of constituency projects he did not bother to execute while in office.
Now, another probing question is, will Okowa blink? It looks like the political Maradona has found himself stuck between the devil and the deep blue sea. He cannot afford to lose the Lion nor can he afford to ignore the advice of his most trusted allies.
The best options left for him are either to enter the race or give Hilary the go-ahead to contest the 2027 PDP Delta North Senatorial primary election with Ndudi and anyone else who might be interested in the race and then use his usual tricks to stop the Lion because he knows that once Hilary rises, he is politically gone forever.
It could be noted that all their calculations were done when SNMN was still in PDP, now that the game has changed with his alignment with Renewed Hope the situation has become much more complicated for them.
As a Nedite, I would like to advise all the members of Senator Ned Munir Nwoko’s political family and all his admirers to sit back and watch the power play between father and son
If the lion can chase the emperor out of his throne and subdue Ndudi or anyone else who might contest the primary, then we can begin to look at him with keen interest and analyze his strengths going forward.
I know very well that the good people of Delta North are highly cerebral.
In Senator Ned Nwoko, they have found a precious jewel, which I believe they will not like to trade with anything, and as far as Anioma people are concerned there is no vacancy in the Delta North Senate seat in 2027
It is already occupied by the Distinguished Senator Ned Munir Nwoko, a man whose IQ rating is above 450%, a great philosopher of modern times.
