The Ijaw nation has appealed to other stakeholders in Delta State to extend the power shift for the governor of the state to Ijaw land in the spirit of fairness and equity. Since the rotation of the governor in Delta State from 1999, the Urhobo, Itsekiri and Anioma have taken their slots, except the Ijaw, perceived as a minority group. Some political actors in the state appear to believe that the power shift would be restricted to the three majority groups identified above. The Ijaw nation is making a strong case for the governor to shift to their constituency in 2023.
According to Ijaw leaders, the appointed time for Ijaw ethnic nationality to produce the next Governor of Delta State is 2023.
They argued that the political framework for rotation of the governor clearly permits all Deltans to contest for party tickets for the 2023 governorship election, noting that Ijaw ethnic nationality must be considered to produce the next governor of Delta State to ensure equity and fairness.
The Ijaw leaders stated that the Ijaw ethnic nationality has for the past 22 years, built strong momentum, not betraying the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) but stood firm for the victory of the party in every election.
They stated that the Ijaw ethnic nationality produces the highest volume of oil and gas in Delta State, being the major source of revenue for the federal government. They argued that the Ijaw nation allotted the governorship seat in 2023 after Urhobo, Anioma and Itsekiri had taken their slots.
The Ijaw leaders appealed to other Deltans to support a governorship candidate from the Ijaw nation for the 2023 elections, so as to reverse the political imbalances in the power equation of the state. They demanded that an Ijaw man be allowed to sit in the Osadebe House, Asaba.
They called the PDP leadership to sponsor a governorship candidate from Ijaw nation in 2023. They maintained that the Ijaw nation has been consistent in supporting the PDP in all elections from the ward level to the local government, state and the federal, delivering block votes at all times.