Anxiety over Stella Okotete’s ministerial nomination

There is palpable fear and anxiety in some political circles in Delta State over Mrs. Stella Okotete.

The fear is not about her health, but that she may be dropped from the ministerial list the same way a nominee from Kano State, Mrs Mariam Shetty was removed on Friday.

Following the sudden emergence of Mr. Festus Keyamo, SAN, from the same state on the list, it is feared that Okotete may also be dropped.

Former Executive Director of Nigeria Export-Import (NEXIM), Okotete’s name featured on the list of the 28 ministerial nominees first forwarded to the Senate by President Bola Tinubu for ratification.

But the sudden inclusion this Friday afternoon of former Minister of State for Labour, Keyamo, on the list has created some anxiety in the state particularly in Okotete’s camp.

There is intense fear over the retention of Okotete on the list because Keyamo is not only from Delta State, both himself and Okotete are from the same senatorial district of Delta Central otherwise known as Urhobo ethnic group area.

That is not all. WesternPost learnt that Keyamo, Okotete, the defeated All Progressives Congress governorship candidate in the state and former Deputy Senate President, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege as well as the state APC Chairman, Elder Sobotie are all from same Ughelli North Local Government Area of the state.

“This is an injustice to Delta South Senatorial,” said a top party stalwart from the state who pleaded not to be mentioned.

The former Minister of State for Petroleum (2015-2019), Dr. Ibe Kachukwu, hails from from Delta North while Keyamo who was Minister from 2019 to 2023 is from Delta Central.