Okowa, senate committee chairman on Health, garnered 406 votes to beat Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan's last minute candidate, Mr. David Edevbie, who received 299 votes, followed by Mr. Victor Ochei who polled 185. Uduaghan's earlier anointed candidate, Mr. Tony Obuh, scored 5 and Mr. Ndidi Elumelu received 50.
Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan was on Monday disgraced as the people of Delta State overwhelmingly voted for Sen. Ifeanyi Okowa as the Peoples Democratic Party governorship primary in the state.
Uduaghan had initially supported Tony Obuh but later changed camp in favor of David Edevbie. Edevbie was also James Ibori's preferred candidate from his UK jail. Edevbie participated in the looting of Delta state during Ibori's tenure, in which he served as commissioner of finance. He is wanted in the UK in connection with Ibori's theft of over £200million from the coffers of Delta state.
His rejection in the party primaries should be seen as rejection of Ibori's remote control of Delta politics from his jailhouse in the UK.
There was wild jubilation in Asaba and other parts of Delta state Monday, following the declaration of Dr. Okowa as the PDP flag bearer for the 2015 governorship election.
Okowa who is Nigerian Senate committee chairman on Health, garnered 406 votes to beat Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan's last minute candidate, Mr. Edevbie, who received 299 votes, followed by Mr. Victor Ochei who polled 185. Uduaghan's earlier anointed candidate, Mr. Tony Obuh, scored 5 and Mr. Ndidi Elumelu received 50.
Twenty five aspirants contested in the governorship primaries.