Tompolo Picks Cousin as Running Mate to Delta PDP Governorship Candidate

The protracted battle over the choice of running mate to the candidate of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in Delta state has come to an end as. Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, who is the gubernatorial candidate yesterday picked the nominee of a former militant commander in the Niger Delta, Chief Government Ekpemukpolo (alias Tompolo), Mr Kingsley Otuaro, as his running mate in the February 2015 governorship election.

Tompolo has been rumoured to have been given the slot to pick the running mate to Senator Okowa, a development that drew criticism from different quarters.

The choice of Okowa’s deputy has particularly been a subject of acrimony among the Ijaw, Itsekiri and Isoko ethnic nationalities in Delta South Senatorial District of the state.

The Ijaw and Isoko were opposed to the Ijaw picking the slot on the strength that it could not add it to the senatorial ticket of the ruling party already won by another Ijaw citizen, Senator James Manager, who is running a fourth-term ticket.

Each of the ethnic nationalities had mounted pressures on Okowa to pick his running mate from the group. It was learnt that the disagreement by the three ethnic nationalities accounted for the delay in filling the slot.

Otuaro is presently a commissioner representing the Ijaw ethnicity on the board of the state’s oil agency, Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC). He hails from Gbaramatu Kingdom in Warri South West local government area of the state.

It was gathered that Okowa has forwarded Otuaro’s name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to beat yesterday’s deadline set by the electoral umpire.

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