Delta State, Nigeria, is on the match again to elect a new governor who will take over from our amiable incumbent governor, Senator (Dr.) Arthur Ifeanyi Okowa.

Senator (Dr.) Arthur Ifeanyi Okowa

The election comes up on Saturday, March 11, 2023.  So, be prepared!

Deltans, both at home and in Diaspora, are anxious and prayerful over the forthcoming governorship election, because they are afraid that what they considered to be the anomalies of the Saturday, February 15, 2023, presidential and national assembly elections may reoccur.

God forbids that their fear may become a reality.

There are five major candidates that will be contesting the forthcoming governorship election in the state, but the fight seems to be between two major actors, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Francis Orohwedor Oborevwori of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and Senator Ovie Omo-Agege of the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Interestingly, the two of them cannot win at the same time; only one of them, Rt. Hon. Oborevwori, the better option, should be given the mandate to govern Delta State from May 29, 2023.

5 Reasons (Why) Rt. Hon Oborevwori Is a Better Option Than Senator Omo-Agege

Below are the five reasons Rt. Hon. Sheriff Francis Orohwedor Oborevwori of PDP is a better option than Senator Ovie Omo-Agege of APC.

Reason #1: A Bridge Builder

Delta State is made up of three senatorial districts, namely: Delta Central, comprising of the good people of Urhobo; Delta North, otherwise known as the Anioma people; and Delta South, comprising the hospitable Isokos, the Itsekiris, and the Ijaws.

Rt. Hon. Sheriff Francis of PDP is of Urhobo extraction from Delta Central District, yet he has a uniform love and respect for the people of the three Districts in the state.

He has also promised to improve on this, when elected, with his M.O.R.E Agenda:

M– Meaningful Development across the three senatorial districts; North, Central, and South on an equal basis,

O – Opportunities for all Deltans devoid of the tribe or ethnic colouration in all aspects of the state’s endeavours,

R – Realistic Reforms that will facilitate rapid socioeconomic transformation and lastly,

E – Enhanced Peace and Security across the state to promote tourism, and attract local and foreign direct investments in the course of advancing Delta.

While Rt. Hon. Oborevwori builds a bridge across the three senatorial districts of Delta State, with love and respect, the same cannot be said of Senator Omo-Agege, who destroys bridges instead of building them.

This can be better explained by the story of what transpired between Chief Great Ogboru and Senator Omo-Agege during the 2019 governorship election in the state.

Senator Omo-Agege sold a dummy to Chief Great Ogboru in 2019 that he would help him become the governor of the state, but after winning his senatorial election of that year, he dumped Chief Ogboru and made him a laughing stock.

“He undermined the so-called federal might under his charge to fail Ogboru in a deal with PDP,” Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, the then leader of Delta State All Progressives Congress, APC, disclosed in a statement signed by his Media and Social Communication’s Manager, Mr. Aghogho Orotomah.

The statement noted that “Omo-Agege’s plan from day one was to ride on the back of Chief Great Ogboru to return to the Senate.

“He set about this by promising Chief Ogboru of making him Delta State governor in 2019.

“Against the run of play of equity and political reality, Omo-Agege sold this dummy to Chief Ogboru that power rotation and zoning in Delta State do not matter and that Delta North does not deserve to complete their 8 years.

“That it does not matter, that without the inputs and cooperation of Delta North or South, only the Urhobos of Delta Central can make Ogboru governor of Delta state.”

Our dear reader, was that possible?

Can any Deltan contesting for the position of the governor of the state ever win his or her election without the joint inputs of the good people of Delta Central, Delta North, and Delta South?

The answer is a CAPITAL NO!

Was that action of Senator Omo-Agege not a sign of a destroyer of bridges of a good relationship, love and respect?

Of course, yes!

Reason #2: Selflessness

Rt. Hon Oborevwori is a selfless lawmaker and father who puts the interest of his people into consideration, at any given time.

He believes in the Divine principle of ‘live and let live,’ which he plans to amplify with his above-stated ‘M.O.R.E Agenda’, when he becomes the governor of Delta State, come May 29, 2023.

Rt. Hon. Sheriff Francis Orohwedor Oborevwori

Unfortunately, Senator Omo-Agege is the direct opposite of Rt. Hon. Oborevwori in this regard.

How?

Senator Omo-Agege, a senator from Delta State, attracted a polytechnic and the Delta State branch of the Nigerian Law School to Delta State.

But instead of spreading the projects among the different parts of Delta State, at least within his own Local Government Area, Ughelli North, he concentrated them in his immediate community in the Orogun clan of the state.

What do you think would happen if such a person is elected to become the governor of the state?

Don’t you think he would take everything that belongs to the state to his own immediate village?

Over to you?

Please, Deltans and other residents of Delta State, let us beware of who to vote for on March 11, 2023, lest we bite our fingers in the next eight (8) years, the way we have been sorrowfully biting it since his party, the All Progressives Congress, APC, came into power in 2015.

Vote for Rt. Hon. Sheriff Francis Orohwedor Oborevwori.  Vote for PDP, Umbrella.

Reason #3: A Good Leader

Delta State was created on Tuesday, August 27, 1991, under the military administration of General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, otherwise known as IBB.

Since then till date, Delta State House of Assembly has had several Speakers, and none of them spent up to three years in that position, except for Rt. Hon. Sheriff Francis Oborevwori, who has spent seven years in that same position, and still counting.

What do you think was responsible for his success in that office?

Did he point a gun to the head of his colleagues which forced them to cooperate with him? or are his colleagues deaf, dumb, and blind people who had no other choice than to obey whatever he says?

None of the above; Rt. Hon. Oborevwori was simply a good leader, who knows how to relate with his colleagues and his subordinates.

This explains why he was elected as the Vice Chairman of the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria.

Senator Omo-Agege, on the other hand, is not a leader, but a dictator. 

Senator Ovie Omo-Agege

Apart from his high-handedness, arrogance, and tyranny, which has kept other leaders of his political party, APC, in Delta State away from him, he’s fond of spreading false news and verbally attacking people unnecessarily.

One of his funniest fake news, which he told ThisDay, was that most of the equipment used to refurbish the Stephen Keshi Stadium in Asaba, some years ago, was carted away from the Warri Township Stadium in Warri by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa.

Isn’t that laughable?

Can a person with such a pedigree be entrusted with the governorship baton to lead a vibrant state like Delta?

Of course, NO!

Doing so would obviously spell d-o-o-m for Deltans and Delta State.

Reason #4: Street Credibility Personified!

What is Street Credibility?

Street Credibility, in the words of Azuzu-Efe Austin, a popular social influencer, simply means “you know the people and the people know you. You love the people and the people love you. You mix up with the people and the people have unrestricted access to you.

“Street credibility means despite your position in the society, you can walk freely on the streets of Okere (a town in the Warri part of Delta State) without security.

“You can seat in Mama Edafe’s restaurant in Old Ekete Road and treat yourself to a sumptuous meal of Owo soup and starch.

“Street credibility does not mean lack of education or resentment for education or scholarship.”

The last part of the definition of ‘Street Credibility’ became necessary as a correction of the wrong impression some uninformed people have about Rt. Hon. Oborevwori.

“It is obvious that some persons who dread the rising political profile or do not know Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori too well on issues of Educational attainment have gone to town with some blasphemous claims of possible disqualification,” disclosed Chief Vincent O. Oyibode, a Niger Delta youths activist, who was a course mate of Rt. Hon. Oborevwori.

“Sheriff Oborevwori,” continued Chief Oyibode, “is a second-class upper graduate of Political Science from Ambrose Alli University, Ekpomah Edo, State in 2004.

“Anyone who doubts this should go to the 16th Convocation Brochure of the aforementioned institution for quick verification. Oborevwori wouldn’t have been admitted to a degree program without the requisite documents and qualifications.

“He later obtained a master of science degree In Political Science (Msc)from the Delta State University, Abraka.  Sheriff was a full-time Student in both degree programs and not a part-time Student.”

In addition to this commendable credibility, Rt, Hon. Oborevwori is a member of several professional bodies including the Nigerian Institute of Management (Chartered), Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Consultants, Canada, and Fellow of the Institute Chartered Mediators and Conciliators.

He was recognized by the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) with a Legislative Icon Award in honour of its several educational endeavours/scholarship programmes in support of students across Delta State on May 14, 2018.

He also received an honour from his kinsmen and was dabbed with a Chieftaincy Title; the Ukodo of Okpe by His Royal Majesty, the Orhorho 1, Orodje of Okpe in recognition of his contribution to the growth and development of the Okpe Kingdom.

That said, Rt. Hon Oborevwori is one of the rare elevated Nigerians who are completely down-to-earth in their relationship with other people.

As the leader of one of the most vibrant houses of assembly in Nigeria, he never feels ‘too big’ to be associated with the common people, especially Deltans.

How would you feel to be accessible to your governor?

Good, isn’t it?

Then, vote for Rt. Hon.Sheriff Francis Orohwedor Oborevwori of PDP, who’s not like Senator Omo-Agege, whose arrogance and self-importance attitude would never allow him to associate with common people or people with lesser status than him.

Reason #5: A Product of Equity and Fairness

Rt. Hon. Sheriff Francis Orohwedor Oborevwori is a product of equity and fairness.

We the people of ICT Like-Minds for PDP have written so much on this topic and cannot stress it enough.

Here’s the truth and nothing but the truth concerning this matter.

There are three senatorial districts in Delta State, namely Delta Central, Delta North, and Delta South, as we mentioned earlier in this article.

Map of Delta State showing its different ethnic nationalities

The governorship seat in Delta State is supposed, at least in principle, to be rotated among these units, for the purpose of equity and fairness and for peace to reign.

Furthermore, each of these districts has different micro or smaller units in them.

For example, while the Delta Central District has the Ethiope (East and West), Ughelli/Udu, and Sapele/Okpe/Uvwie micro units; Delta North has the Aniocha/Oshimili, Ndokwa, and Ika micro units.

The third District, Delta South, has the Itsekiris, the Ijaws, and the Isokos micro units.

What this means is that whatever goodies belong to the commonwealth of the state has to be shared and distributed evenly among the three major Districts and their micro units.

Unfortunately, some greedy and selfish people in Delta Central tried, by all means, to thwart this peaceful arrangement when it was time to decide, who, among their people, would likely take over from our present governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa.

Among the three micro units in Delta Central, Ethiope (East and West), Ughelli/Udu, and Sapele/Okpe/Uvwie, it is only the Sapele/Okpe/Uvwie, that is yet to produce neither a governor nor a deputy governor in the state, since its creation on August 27, 1991, and incidentally, Rt. Hon Oborevwori is from the Sapele/Okpe/Uvwie micro unit.

Even though Senator Omo-Agege is from a different party, his own micro unit has produced both a governor and a deputy governor for the state.

It, therefore, makes both equity and fairness, as well as peace sense that Rt. Hon. Oborevwori is voted to become the governor of Delta State.

We cannot be preaching equity, fairness, and peace, in theory, and do the opposite in practice.

If we sincerely desire peace, in our state, Delta, then, we must be fair and equitable, both in words and in action.

The Sapele/Okpe/Uvwie people cannot continue to sidon and look while their other two counterparts continue to enjoy the commonwealth that is meant for all of them.

Since nobody, in particular, owns Delta State, every Deltan or part of Delta State must therefore be given the opportunity to aspire to be what he, she, or it wants to become, legally speaking.

On a final note, we the people of ICT Like-Minds for PDP wish to use this opportunity to appeal to all Deltans, both at home and in the Diaspora, and other residents of Delta State to vote for Rt. Hon. Sheriff Francis Orohwedor Oborevwori, on March 11, 2023, as the next governor of Delta State.

God bless you all for your understanding.

By ICT Like-Minds for PDP (You can reach ICT Like-Minds for PDP through the contact page of this Website.)