By Fanoro Abiodun Olusoga

Sir: The manoeuvering which largely determined the winner of the presidential primaries of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) again raised its ugly head in the emergence of Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, as the running mate to Atiku Abubakar and from a telescopic view-point, it is not going to abate till the 2023 Presidential Election and beyond.

Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike should have known that the coup that prevented him from reaching the “promised land,” which he was only allowed to see afar, like Moses, started manifesting from the moment the sacrilege of stabbing zoning, the article of unity and faith in the party, was successfully carried out with active connivance of some Wike’s South-south brothers and those he trusted as close confidants and beneficiaries of his largesse from other geo-political zones.

Okowa hosted a meeting of southern governors last May in Asaba where in unison, the governors agreed that the next president of Nigeria after President Muhammadu Buhari must come from the southern region of the country. For him as the convener/host of that meeting and whose political party already had zoning in its Constitution, ordinarily it should be much easier for him to pursue and achieve, not the way he colluded with others to undermining the sacred provision.

Aside, the Delta governor as a man of honour who should believe in the sanctity of the agreement reached at his backyard and as a mark of respect for his southern colleagues ought to have struggled to achieve the project entrusted in him by his colleagues, not to in any way be part of its murder. If anything, Okowa should bury his head in shame that the will of his people and colleagues he betrayed was diligently, doggedly and successfully pursued by his colleague, Ondo State Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, who was restless about it despite stiff opposition and threat against him.

Does Okowa know how much pain he has inflicted on his people particularly, elders like Chief Edwin Clark? Even his Igbo kinsmen would not forgive him, because his adoption was meant to undermine their only-son-presidential candidate Peter Obi. Certainly, his people in the South-south, especially the elders, as well as his South-east kinsmen, will label him as a traitor.

Come to think of it, where is the justice, fairness, and equity both Atiku and the party have been sermonising and promised to deliver unto Nigerians and Nigeria? Can anybody build something on nothing? Atiku, Okowa and their party are building on injustice.

If justice and democracy are synonymous, is it just to build democracy on injustice, is it expedient and would it be productive to water democracy with filthy and toxic water of injustice? It is a generally accepted social law that “he who seeks equity must come with a clean hand”, unfortunately, these hands are bloody like that of Shakespeare’s Macbeth. These are not the crusaders Nigeria is hungry for.

Fanoro Abiodun Olusoga, a journalist, wrote from Lagos.