THE GUARDIAN

Chairman of Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC), Mr. Michael Diden, escaped being lynched on Sunday by youths in Burutu Council of Delta State.

Diden, also chairman, Delta Political Vanguard (DPV), a political group within the PDP, was said to have endorsed an aspirant supported by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa against the Ijaws, who are supporting Kingsley Otuaro.

Sources at the meeting said some youth leaders, Tamar Forteta, Ayapaye Brendan and Ebi Agbor were anxious to know from Mr. Diden, whether he would support an Ijaw son to be governor, since he was aspiring to take over the Senate seat from Ijaw people.

“Ejele came to consult us for his senatorial ambition, but failed to also tell us if he will support any of our Ijaw sons for governor.

“Delta South currently has three aspirants, and they are Senator James Manager, the deputy Governor, Kingsley Otuaro and a former commissioner for agriculture in the state, Braduce Angozi.

“The youths were not given the opportunity to speak, so they turned the meeting to a war zone, forcing Diden to take to his heels.

“I can authoritatively tell you that the meeting ended in a free for all and also abruptly,” a source said. Another source disclosed that the trio of Tamar, Agbor and Brendan were not invited to the meeting as it was a gathering of caucus of the leaders in the council.

The source also accused them of supporting a top governorship aspirant in the state. The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said it took the intervention of stakeholders to rescue Ejele, from the angry youths who were bent on causing mayhem.