Exposed: How Igbuya Plot To Become Acting Governor

Indications have emerged that the speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Hon. Monday Igbuya, may have begun plotting to become the state acting governor in case the election petition tribunal declares a rerun governorship election in the state.

Impeccable sources at the state Assembly revealed that the move which is currently brewing tension within the Government House, Asaba, the state capital, may have pitched Governor Ifeanyi Okowa against the Speaker.

A source actually disclosed that Okowa is currently not happy with some moves and body language of the Speaker in recent time, as the governor feels that (he) Speaker is not wishing him well in his case at the tribunal but rather interested in becoming acting governor.

This is coming a few days after Igbuya commenced underground moves to allegedly beg his political opponents to drop their election petition against him following uncertainty which has enveloped the state over the possible unfavourable outcome of the governorship election petition tribunal in the state.

The source revealed that one of the plots of the Speaker to clear all obstacles on his path was the alleged N115 million bribes by 23 PDP House of Assembly members to compromise the 3-man panel of judges presiding over the House of Assembly election petition tribunal in Asaba which, he allegedly initiated but has since denied.

Sources revealed that Igbuya in his desperation has also allegedly sent some emissaries to beg his main opponent in the House of Assembly election petition, Mr. Felix Anirah, to withdraw his petition so as not to jeopardise his chances of becoming acting governor in the state.

Anirah, the April 11, 2015 Delta state House of Assembly candidate for the All Progressives Congress (APC), in Sapele constituency is challenging the victory of Igbuya at the House of Assembly election petition tribunal.

Igbuya, www.thewillnigeria.com gathered, had allegedly, mandated the leadership of Okpe Union Worldwide, to appeal to Anirah to withdraw the petition in the interest of Okpe people and so as not to scuttle his chances of becoming the acting governor of the state should the tribunal decide otherwise in the case between Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and the governorship candidates of All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Labour Party (LP).

A member of the delegation who confided in our correspondent, disclosed that the union, allegedly acting on the instructions of Igbuya, visited Anirah at his Sapele home, with a 15-man delegation from its headquarters in Lagos.

“The speaker cried to us the union and initiated the move through one of his close allies. After critically examining the case at the tribunal and the possibilities of him losing to the APC candidate, we decided to intervene on his behalf and we visited Anirah at his Sapele home.

“Although, the meeting failed to achieved its purpose because Chief Anirah told us in the presence of his party leaders in Sapele that the matter is beyond him; because it is the party that contested the election and that he is just the candidate of the party.

“The delegation of Okpe Union Worldwide was led on the peace mission by its President-General, Mr. Patrick Akpotor.

“Igbuya is aware of the fact that the election that returned him to the house was not free and fair and there is this fear that he might lose in the court, and if that happens, the Okpes would have lost the speakership, so he appealed to the Okpe Union to intervene, and that is why we visited Chief Anirah,” the leader stated.

Another source however revealed that the parley failed because Anirah had told them at the meeting that Igbuya, who the Okpe Union was pleading for, does not behave like an Okpe man, because all the contracts he got from the state government for Sapele, were either poorly executed or outrightly abandoned; therefore causing infrastructural decay in Sapele, and therefore does not deserve to represent Okpe people.

But when contacted, the Speaker, Igbuya, denied knowledge of any meeting on his behalf.

Source: thewillnigeria.com