How Oshiomhole Reportedly ‘Hijacked NDDC Board Chairmanship From Ondo State’
As protests continue to trail the recent announcement of board members of the Nigeria Delta Development Commission, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has been accused of being behind the moves that ensured the chairmanship of the body went to Edo State instead of Ondo State.
Multiple sources who claim to be aware of the horse-trading that resulted in the announcement of former Deputy Governor of Edo State under Oshiomhole, Dr. Pius Odubu as Chairman of the NDDC board revealed that President Muhammadu Buhari had planned to ensure the Chairmanship position went to Ondo State, with Mr. Sola Oke as the most likely choice of Governor Rotimi Akerodolu for the position.
Sola Oke, we learnt, became the Ondo governor’s candidate as part of agreed compensation to the former governorship aspirant who had defected from the PDP to contest the ticket with Governor Akeredolu.
It was also alleged that elements at the APC hierarchy led by the APC Chairman connived with powerful elements in the presidency to take advantage of President Buhari’s trip to Japan for the 7th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD to announce the constitution of the board, believing it was going to be too late for Mr. President to reverse it on his return.
Other sources also claim former Delta State Governor, Mr. James Ibori, may have also worked behind the scenes to ensure the emergence of Bernard Okumagba as Managing Director of NDDC.
“Those who fought hard to ensure that the All Progressives Congress scored the 25 percent statutory minimum votes in Delta State are feeling hard-done-by following this announcement,” our source said wondering why the Federal Government would allow the NDDC board to be selected mostly from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).