With the tenure of current chairman of Delta Sports Commission, Tonobok Okowa, ending in February, this year, what appears a fierce battle among the contenders for the job is playing out in Asaba.
Under Okowa, Team Delta won the National Sports Festival on three occasions, at Abuja 2018, Edo 2020 and Asaba 2022. Team Delta also won the National Youth Games a record seven times.
Delta State hosted several national and international events, including the 2018 Senior African Athletics Championships, the 2022 National Sports Festival and the National Youth Games in 2023.
Over seven top contenders are battling for the position. A source close to Commission hinted that the contenders are deploying all available means to lobby Governor Sheriff Oborevwori for the position.
While some are said to be ‘playing’ their games through close political associates of the governor, however, two persons are said to be pulling more weights among the contenders. They are former Director General of the Sports Commission, Victor Onogagamue and a relation of the Governor, Onos Oborevwori.
According to the source, it is the turn of Delta Central Senatorial district to produce the chairman of the Sports Commission since Solomon Ogba (Delta South) served as Sports Commissioner under the James Ibori’s administration (1999 and 2007), while Amaju Pinnick, also from Delta South, was chairman of the Sports Commission under the administration of former Governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan’s administration (2007 to 2015). Tonobok Okowa (Delta North) took over as the Sports Commission boss in 2015.
The source revealed that one of the aspirants, Onos Oborevwori, a former player with Fragile FC of Warri, had been preparing himself for the position long before his brother became the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, and his eventual emergence as the state governor.
“Onos played for Fragile FC in Warri in 1999, alongside the likes of former Super Eagles player, Joseph Enaikarhire and Ishola Shauibu. He left football to concentrate on his hotel business.
“He has been preparing himself for this job long ago because apart from playing football, he has been spending most of his time supporting players (both male and female). He spends his personal money on athletes as well. Even when his brother had not emerged as PDP flagbearers, Onos has been warming up for the job. I see Victor Onogagamue as another strong contender for the position because he has paid his dues,” the source stated.
Some other names listed as contenders for the job, yesterday, include ex-Super Eagles player, Sam Sodje, and one of the members of the current Sports Commission board, Ernest Juweto.
There were feelers in some quarters that Governor Oborevwori might extend the tenure of Tonobok Okowa for at least two more years for those jostling for the job to under study him properly.
The Delta State Sports Commission is seen as a lucrative and more secured position, as the chairman usually serves his full four years irrespective of any cabinet reshuffle by the governor.
