Chief Edwin Clark, an elder statesman and the leader of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), has asked Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State to step down as Atiku Abubakar’s running mate.

Clark wrote an open letter to Okowa in which he accused him of betrayal and said he should apologise to the 17 southern governors who met in Delta state and decided that the presidency should be given to the South.

Clark said in his letter, “an open letter to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa on the state of affairs in Delta state,” that Okowa was more dictatorial than any other military leader who had run Delta state.

He said, “I say with certainty that you are more dictatorial than any other Military Administrator that has administered Delta State since its creation in 1991. I can therefore understand why you have deliberately and immorally betrayed your colleagues of Southern Nigeria and the people for your selfish ambition by wanting to land on safer ground by accepting to serve as running mate to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

“No, by God’s grace, your prayer will not be answered. Perhaps, you have forgotten the gravity of the offence you have committed against the people of Southern Nigeria.

“In order to cover your nefarious plot, you voluntarily induced everyone to host a meeting of the 17 Southern Governors in Government House Asaba on Tuesday, 11th May 2021.

“You gave them a very good reception and provided them with a secretariat that drafted the communiqué under your supervision, which was ably read by the Chairman of the Southern Governors Forum, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State. It was indeed a bombshell, as you collectively demanded Southern Presidency and insisted that non of you should accept to be a Vice President.

“Shortly afterwards, the Southern and Middle-Belt Leaders Forum (SMBLF), which I lead, gave the governor’s declaration 100% support and declared that no Southern serving Governors, Legislators or Politicians should accept to be running mate, particularly to Atiku Abubakar.

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“The 17 Governors later met again in Lagos and Enugu to affirm the decision taken in your Government House Asaba. Little did we know that you were using this to perfect your secret plan to be running mate to Atiku Abubakar from the very beginning.”

Clark said they weren’t surprised by what Okowa did and then listed some of the negative things he did during the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential primary, which helped Atiku win.

He said, “We are therefore not surprised that you directed all the delegates from Delta State not to vote for Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State or Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State, who are your neighbours but instead, they voted massively for Atiku Abubakar during the PDP Presidential Primaries last year.

“It would be recalled in 2007 that Delta State finances were used in funding part of the election of Umaru Musa Yar’Adua through the directive of President Olusegun Obasanjo. We were, therefore, not surprised when you, too, decided to finance Atiku Abubakar with Delta People’s money because; there is nobody to challenge you. I repeat, you will not succeed.

“It is, therefore, in your own interest to openly apologise to your colleagues of both APC and PDP whom you deceived in taking a decision you never believed in. After your unreserved apology to your people and Southern Nigeria, you should step down your ambition of becoming a Vice-Presidential candidate of the PDP. There your honour lies.

“We can now understand the reason why you are never serious with your Chairmanship of the South-South Governors Forum since this will definitely compromise your ambition. You never for one day joined your colleagues to condemn the atrocities being perpetrated against our people, particularly the atrocities being committed by the armed AK 47 herdsmen who invaded Uvwheru, Igbuzor, Okpanam, Abraka and very lately Patani. This is because it will annoy your Northern friends.

“However, the Southern and Middle-Belt Leaders Forum (SMBLF) have resolved to oppose your joint candidature with Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and this we will continue to do until election day.”