Hon. Chief Louis Ogugua Ndukwe, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from Delta State and a former Chairman of Oshimili North Local Government Area, has spoken about the upcoming 2027 elections. During a conversation with journalists, he shared his thoughts on why the Ndokwa people should not hold both the Deputy Governor and Senate positions at the same time in the next election.
Chief Ndukwe began by recognizing the right of the Ndokwa people to ask for the Senate seat in 2027. However, he explained that in Delta North, fairness and the sharing of political positions among different groups are very important. He provided a brief history of how political roles have been shared in the region:
1. 1999 to 2011: Senator Patrick Osakwe from Ndokwa served in the Senate for 12 years.
2. During that same time, Chief Benjamin Elue from Aniocha/Oshimili was Deputy Governor under Governor James Ibori.
3. 2011 to 2023: Senator Ifeanyi Okowa from Ika first served four years in the Senate and later became Governor for eight years, giving the Ika people 12 years of leadership.
4. Senator Peter Nwaoboshi from Aniocha/Oshimili served eight years in the Senate. Senator Ned Nwoko, also from Aniocha/Oshimili, served the remaining four years to complete their 12-year turn.
Chief Ndukwe emphasized that the Ndokwa people have already gone ahead in sharing power because they currently hold the position of Deputy Governor. He noted that since Ndokwa has had this position for the past four years, it would not be fair for them to also take the Senate seat in 2027.
He explained that Ika people have not held any major position in the last four years, while Ndokwa and Aniocha/Oshimili held both the Deputy Governorship and Senate seats. To maintain fairness, Chief Ndukwe suggested that no single group in Delta North should hold two big positions at the same time.
“I am saying this with all respect and responsibility,” he added. “As brothers in Delta North, we should ensure fairness and balance in our political decisions.”
Chief Ndukwe concluded by saying that the Governor’s decision on who will be the next Deputy Governor is important and should follow the tradition of fairness and continuity.
