A lawmaker has died of the dreaded coronavirus disease with politicians now jostling to replace him.
Owhefere
Just some hours after losing his life, politicians are already making plans to take over the position of late Delta State House of Assembly Majority Leader, Tim Owhefere.
According to SaharaReporters, Owhefere, a lawyer and journalist, aged 57 and member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), representing Isoko North constituency at the state House of Assembly died around 11.50pm on Wednesday at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Asaba, as a result of suspected COVID-19 complications.
The late lawmaker, who was buried amidst wailing by sympathisers, friends, political associates, aides, government officials, well wishers and community indigenes on Monday at around 8:00am at his Akiewhe country home, Isoko North Local Government Area of the state in line with COVID-19 guildlines, fell sick barely a week earlier and was on life support before he finally gave up the ghost.
Our correspondent reliably gathered that politicians from the constituency have started jostling for the position of the late majority leader, by lobbying some close government officials and party men who are connected to bigwigs in the state.
It was learnt that barely 24 hours after the demise of the majority leader, some PDP leaders from the constituency and those jostling for his position held a secret meeting in Asaba shortly after his death, to possibly pick his replacement without delay.
Speaking in confidence with our correspondent, a close political associate of the late lawmaker, who spoke on condition of anonymity, expressed displeasure over the development, describing it as "greed and wickedness", adding that "so many secret meetings are held every day by some greedy and wicked Isoko North party leaders and those jostling for his position".
"We shall all die one day. This is a man who died and barely 24 hours later, while his corpse was still lying in the mortuary, some people had started jostling for his position, holding meetings here and there. We know where his death came from, not this COVID-19 of a thing they are struggling to make us believe. We all know his death came from the recent struggle over who would produce the chairman of Isoko North Local Government Area in the March 6, 2021 council polls and the 2023 politics.
"Even all those who never wished him well in life are those pouring deceptive tributes and condolence messages, describing him as a friend and brother when in real sense of it, they never wished him well. These satanic minds and green snakes in free grass have for long wished Tim Owhefere death before this Wednesday death, all because of 2023 politics and the diabolical and bitter politics being played in Isoko nation, especially Isoko North."
A professional colleague and political associate of the later lawmaker, Irogbo Afor, a lawyer, suggested that the death of Owhefere was not ordinary but political and diabolical, even as he described him as a "godsend brother and rare gem with the largest human heart".