Controversies have continued to rock the camp of the Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) over the disposition of his Vice presidential candidate, Ifeanyi Okowa, towards Muslims in Delta State.
The Muslims under the umbrella of Delta State Muslims Stakeholders raised the alarm that they were being treated with disdain by the Okowa-led administration in the last seven years.
This was contained in a Communique, signed by the Secretary, Alhaji Wasiu Udi, and made available to newsmen, at the end of an extraordinary meeting of Muslim stakeholders in the state, held on Sunday August 7th 2022, at the Ekakpamre Central Mosque, in Ughelli South local government Area of Delta State.
The Communique, disclosed that they would not vote for Okowa, as the vice presidential candidate of the PDP who preferred to deal with the ethnic groups of Arewa and Yoruba extraction to their detriment.
The body also noted that Muslims in Delta State are not been treated fairly as they are not accorded their rightful position like their sister organisation, (CAN).
The meeting was attended by critical Muslim stakeholders across the twenty-five local government councils including representatives of Organisations.
One of the major agenda discussed was the relationship between Muslims in the State and the governor, His Excellency, Sen. Dr Ifeanyi Okowa.
The communique reads; We the entire Muslim leaders in Delta State, held this crucial meeting and after a serious deliberation on the relationship between Muslims and the governor, Sen Okowa have resolved as follows;
(1) That Muslims in the State will not support the governor for the vice presidential candidacy of the People Democratic Party come 2023 general election.
(2) The meeting noted with every seriousness that since he became the governor of Delta State in 2015, Muslim stakeholders in the state have not had an audience with him as he always dismissed our request for visitation with a wave of the hand.
(3) That Muslim leaders have written several letters for an audience to meet with him which he always turned down.
(4) That since the past seven years of his administration, he has deliberately refused to see Muslims but prefers to deal with some group of Arewa ethnic group.
(5) That in 2016 when his former aide humiliated Muslim leaders of state on false imprisonment to the knowledge, the governor did not address the matter simply because we are Muslims.
(6)That the government of Okowa has divided the rank and file of Muslims to favour an ethnic group of Arewa and Yoruba extraction to our detriment.
(7) Similarly, since he became the governor in 2015, he has sponsored over three thousand Christians on pilgrimages, whereas the Muslims have none.
(8) That we Muslims of Delta State are treated disdainfully, as we are not accorded our rightful position like our sister organisation. (CAN)
(9) We the Muslim stakeholders also demand that all the staff in the State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board who are Christians should be replaced with Muslims
(10) That Muslims in the state have resolved not to work for the governor in the forthcoming election in 2023.
(11) That we Muslims are not oblivion of the fact that after this communique, some other Muslim groups will be sponsored to counter this communique.
(12) That Muslim indigenes are treated as if we are second-class citizens in their our own state.
(13) That the Muslim stakeholders have set up a contact group to reach out to other Muslims across the nation against the vice presidential candidate.
(14) This communique is signed by Secretary Alhaji Wasiu Udi for and on behalf of the Muslim stakeholders.
Credit: Advocate Newspaper
