Politics

Battle For Delta: Obidients Threaten Oborevwori, Omo-Agege’s Chances

Published

1 year ago

March 9, 2023

Editor

THere is a great probability that the upshots of the February 25 Presidential and National Assembly elections may affect the voting pattern in the Governorship and House of Assembly elections in some states of the South-South particularly Delta State, on Saturday but the certainty is subject to changeable political dynamics.

In Delta State, for instance, where the leading governorship candidates are Sheriff Oborevwori of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and Senator Ovie Omo-Agege of the All Progressives Congress, APC, the exploit of the Labour Party, LP, in the polls in question, has made the underrated “Obidients” an important factor in the March 11 polls.

Mind you, Obidients are not members of the LP alone. They are groups of citizens, especially youths with permanent voter’s cards, PVCs, who believe that it is time to flush away the old brigade of politicians ruling the country and states, all these years, so that fresh hands çould be installed.

They are more in number than registered political party members, who make the loudest noise during elections.

Sherrif Oborevwori, speaker of Delta State House of Assembly and the standard-bearer of the ruling PDP, who is the candidate to beat on March 11, has anxiously lobbied the “Obidients” in the state for support, in the past few days.

APC’s Ovie Omo-Agege, who is the Deputy Senate President; Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi of the Social Democratic Party, SDP; Chief Great Ogboru of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA; Comrade Sunny Ofehe, of the Young Progressives Party, YPP, are also in pursuit of the “Obidients”, even though the LP has a governorship candidate in the person of Ken Pela.

The governorship candidates are not the only ones tracking the “Obidients.” The House of Assembly candidates are trailing the LP revolutionists to churches, markets, and every public places they know they are gathered in their areas, seeing what they did on February 25. The fear of the Obidients is now the commencement of political wisdom in Delta State.

Following reports that the LP was negotiating with Governor Ifeanyi Okowa ahead of Saturday’s polls, the state chairman, Tony Ezeagwu, during the week, disowned the claim, saying the party has its candidate, Ken Pela.”

LP not discussing with Okowa, others

“I want the general public to know that the LP in Delta State has no business with Governor Okowa, the PDP, or any other party in the state. As a party, we have not discussed anything of such with Okowa, we have not even held any meeting with him, and we do not intend to do so.”

Curiously, while Ezeagwu said LP had no business with PDP or any other party, a coalition of support groups for Peter Obi in the state, led by Mr. Ochuko Edafe, Monday, in Asaba, pitched tent with Omo-Agege, saying the Obidients in the state would vote him because he is the most credible candidate for governor.

Indeed, the LP shook the table in Delta on February 25 with PDP losing 18 out of the 25 local government areas in the state to the LP.

It lost two House of Representatives seats to the LP. Mr. Ngozi Okolie, who flew the party’s flag in Aniocha/Oshimili federal constituency, defeated the Minority Leader of the House and candidate of the PDP, Ndudu Elumelu.

Former member of the House of Representatives, Evelyn Oboro, who flew the flag of the PDP in the Okpe/Sapele/Uvwie federal constituency bowed to LP’s Ben Etenabene.

APC, which is the main opposition party in the state, won the Delta South and Delta Central senatorial seats, threatening the chances of PDP, which only won the Delta North senatorial seat in the March 11 polls. However, PDP won six House of Representative seats in the state, APC- one, and LP – two.

Many think the upsets may affect the Governorship and House of Assembly elections with the LP candidate, Ken Pela, becoming a major beneficiary. Nevertheless, it does not appear so on the ground.

Saturday’s governorship battle is likely to be a different ball game between Oborevwori, who has the support of youths across the state because of his sociable nature, and Omo-Agege, propelled more by politicians, who lost out in the power game with Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, the main promoter of Oborevwori, and some citizens that feel disgruntled with PDP in the state.

Despite contesting on the platform of SDP, Gbagi, a lawyer and former Minister of State, Education, is on a firm pedestal as one of the frontrunners. The combined factors of a respectable background and a broad-based vision of governance have had a tremendous impact on his penetration of demographic groups with the resultant swell of a support base for him across the 25 local government areas of Delta State.

It is to his credit that he had stayed the course since 2019 when he unveiled interest in occupying the plum position. The serial endorsements of the SDP candidate by Deltans is an approbation of Gbagi’s six-point agenda primed to usher in all-around development and progress, industrialisation, enhanced security, quality education, job creation and women and youth empowerment.

To a large extent, Gbagi’s presence in the race has promoted greater scrutiny of the moral character and antecedents of those seeking the governorship office. His disposition towards probity, transparency and frugality in resource management added to his unblemished record in public service provides a counterpoise to the alleged corrupt background and unexplained wealth allegedly associated with some of the top contestants. Gbagi, who sees himself as the biggest investor in Delta and said the era of the experiment was gone, Delta must be run by a wealth creator and someone with the experience and capacity to turn the fortunes of the state around.

Related Topics:APC Delta Delta governorship PDP

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Politics

Edo Poll: PDP Gubernatorial Aspirant Resigns From Party

Published

18 hours ago

May 7, 2024

Editor

Felix Akhabue, a former gubernatorial aspirant for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the September 21, Edo State election, has resigned from the party.

Akhabue was among the 10 aspirant who contested the party’s primary election in February and protested against the conduct of its ward and local government congresses.

Akhabue, a former, chairman of Esan West Local Government Area as well as Commissioner for Wealth Creation, Cooperative and Industry in Governor Godwin Obaseki’s first tenure, dumped the party in a letter dated May 6, 2024, and addressed to the Ward 7 chairman of the party in Esan West local Government Area.

Politics

Edo Poll: Akoko-Edo PDP Leaders Meet Deputy Gov, Pledge Massive Votes For Ighodalo

Published

20 hours ago

May 7, 2024

Editor

Leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of Edo State Tuesday assured the Deputy Governor of the state, Marvellous Omobayo, of their preparedness to deliver block votes to the party’s governorship candidate, Barrister Asue Ighodalo in the forthcoming September 21st governorship election.

The leaders who came from ward (4), (3) and ward (5) was led by Comrade Princeswill Ogunnubi (ward 4), said Akoko-Edo, since the appointment of their kinsman as deputy governor, Akoko-Edo is a no go area for the opposition All Progressives Congress in the state, just as he predicted victory for the PDP.

Ogunnubi, who spoke during a courtesy call on the deputy governor at his office on a solidarity visit, noted that the visit was imperative to assure the number two citizen of the state of their readiness towards the continuity of the PDP in the state beyond 2024.

He said. “We are not just here today in solidarity with you on your appointment but to also assure you of our unalloyed support to deliver on the political trust and confidence reposed in you by the governor on your appointment.

“You can see that since your assumption as the deputy governor the youth of the state that forms majority of the voting population are excited and solidly behind you to see that you succeed and as a people are eternally grateful to Governor Godwin Obaseki.

“It is on record that we have never had it this good apart from the statutory elective political offices. The time has come for us to compensate the governor by delivering Barrister Asue Ighodalo as the next governor of the Edo State.”

Also on the visit, Mr Ernest Akpaja, another leader, stressed on the need for all party members to close rank and join forces in the task ahead.

“This appointment is a testament to the Governor’s commitment to diversity and inclusiveness. We believe Deputy Governor Godwin will make significant contributions to advancing the governor’s development agenda,” Akpaja said.

Omobayo who was elated at the visit, appealed to the leaders to sustain the unity of purpose in ensuring that Akoko-Edo is solidly “PDP and PDP is Akoko-Edo.”

While thanking the leaders remarked, “Without mincing words, I can assure you that Akoko-Edo will get more positions under the PDP if voted back into power. More better days ahead for our people.”

Politics

PDP Crisis: Why Party Members Are Resigning – Sule Lamido

Published

3 days ago

May 5, 2024

Editor

Former governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, has explained why some notable members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP are resigning the membership from the party.

Lamido blamed the current crisis in the party on the procedures of the court.

He said if the supreme court did not overturn the election of Hon. Emeka Ihedioha as Imo Governor, he would have remained a sitting governor of the state.

He added that the PDP mass resignation was as a result of frustration occasioned by the leadership of the party and the judiciary.

Lamido stated this in an interview with This Day.

Recall that there has been an ongoing resignation by members of PDP especially in Imo and few other small states.

The former governor said if the court did not insist that Senator Samuel Anyanwu was the National Secretary, when he (Anyanwu) went and contested for the Imo State governorship election, the position of National Secretary would have gone to another person from Imo State.

Lamido said, “Emeka Ihedioha and other chieftains of the PDP that resigned from the party were humiliated and frustrated out. They were humiliated by the leadership of the party, with the help of the judiciary.

“Ministers resigned to contest election. Other government officials and even party officials resigned to contest elective offices. Senator Anyanwu ought to have resigned to contest the governorship election in Imo state.

“What did he (Anyanwu) do. He held to the office of national secretary and contested for the governorship election. You cannot eat your cake and still have it back. You cannot appropriate the two positions. You are the national secretary and the governorship candidate at the same time. This is not done.

“So, when the stakeholders from Imo state complained, the judiciary aided him and affirmed his position as National Secretary when he lost his governorship election.

“So, Ihedioha and his group felt frustrated and humiliated by the action of the leadership of the party by failing to stand up for justice. So, as a person, I don’t blame Ihedioha and his associates. I can understand why he and his associates left. Some external influences are tele-guiding the party.”

On the defection of the former Governor of Katsina the APC, Lamido said the State was formally under the control of the All Peoples Party (APP), adding that it was the influence of former President Olusegun Obasanjo that made the PDP to win the state in 2003.

He, however, said with the influence of former President Muhammadu Buhari and all his political associates it went back to the APC.

He stated, “I see it as he wants to meet them. I don’t believe that he went to APC because of the EFCC. Though, I remember what the former national chairman of APC, Adams Oshiomhole said that when you defect to the APC, all your sins are forgotten.”

Speaking further on the situation in PDP Imo State, he said, “The leadership of the party was extremely unfair to Ihedioha who first asked if Anyanwu will contest for governor and when Anyanwu said yes, Ihedioha left it for him and yet, Anyanwu still did not leave the post of National secretary. It is not fair.”

On the role of the judiciary in the plights of the PDP, he cited the case of the Supreme Court on Ihedioha’s case, arguing that, “if not the ignoble role of the Supreme Court, Ihedioha will still be governor and the same courts was used to support Anyanwu retaining the office of the National Secretary and the Governorship candidate.

“When the history of the PDP is to be told, the role of the courts must occupy a special place. This is especially with the southeast geopolitical zone.”

When asked if he was likely going to join the APC, he said, “No, they will not accept me. Go and ask President Bola Tinubu, if he and his APC will accept me.”

Meanwhile, those that have left the party in the State include former Military Administrator, Air Commodore Luke Ochulor; Former Deputy Governor, Engr. Gerald Irona; Former Ministers of the Federal Republic, Engr. Charles Ugwuh, Chief Chuka Odom and BOT member of the party – Chief Chris Okewulonu.

Former NEC member of the party- Chief Henry Ekpe; Former elected members of House of Representatives – Hon. ThankGod Ezeani, Hon. Mayor Eze, Hon. Uche Onyeaguocha, Hon. Ugonna Ozurigbo, Hon. Obinna Onwubuariri and Hon. Jonas Okeke.

Others that have dumped the PDP included Chairman PDP elders’ committee – Prof. Jude Njoku; Secretary PDP elders’ Committee – Prof. Obioma Iheduru; Members of the South-east Zonal Executive Committee, Chief Stanley Ekezie; Chief Augustine Elochukwu; Two senatorial candidates of the party in the last election- including Chief Emmanuel Okewulonu, former local government chairmen, several House of Assembly candidates of the party.
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