PRESS STATEMENT

29th August, 2022

The Delta State Peoples Democratic Party PDP, has congratulated its Governorship Candidate for the 2023 general elections, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori on his victory at the Court of Appeal.

The congratulatory message was contained in a statement by Delta State PDP Publicity Secretary Dr. Ifeanyi Osuoza, which reads: “Delta State Peoples Democratic Party PDP, heartily congratulates our Gubernatorial candidate for the 2023 elections and the Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, on his well deserved victory at the Court of Appeal.

It will be recalled that a Federal High Court had earlier given judgement, disqualifying Rt. Hon. Oborevwori from contesting the 2023 Delta Governorship election on account of the alleged discrepancies in his documents, but the matter was successfully appealed, and Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori has been reconfirmed as the substantive Delta PDP Gubernatorial candidate for the 2023 election.

This defining victory at the Court of Appeal is not just a triumph for Rt. Hon. Oborevwori and his teeming supporters, but indeed a welcome victory for our great party, as it has revalidated and endorsed our stand that our party primaries were free, fair, transparent, and very credible.

We, therefore, use this medium to call and appeal to all loyal party members, especially our distinguished Olorogun David Edevbie, to see this victory as a solid and unshakable platform to come together as one united family and join hands with his brother Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori in the formidable PDP campaign train that will be put in place now that the issue of our Governorship candidate has been resolved.

We have consistently maintained that our party primaries were a family affair and that we will remain one united family irrespective of whatever the judicial result had been. The opposition is already devastated by this victory at the Court of Appeal and together we shall march with full confidence into the 2023 elections and triumph with an overwhelming landslide in all positions.

I call on all our Party Faithful to NOTE that there is; NO WINNER, NO VANQUISHED in the present circumstance.

Congratulations Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori!

Congratulations Delta PDP family!!

Congratulations Deltans.!!!

Delta is PDP and PDP is Delta.

PDP! Power to the People!!!

Dr. Ifeanyi M. Osuoza
State Publicity Secretary,
PDP, Delta State.

DELTA APC WELCOMES OBOREVWORI TO GUBER RACE
….. SAYS HE’S THE WEAKEST LINK IN THE CONTEST AHEAD

The Delta APC Gubernatorial Campaign Organisation has said the embattled Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori, is the weakest link in the 2023 governorship election in the state, and welcomed his Monday afternoon “victory” at the Court of Appeal.

Specifically, the court had set aside the judgment of the Federal High Court which on July 7, 2022, nullified his nomination on grounds of certificate forgery and perjury preferred against him by his main opponent in PDP, David Edevbie.

Welcoming Oborevwori’s victory, the Director, Communications and Media Strategy of the Campaign Organisation, Ima Niboro, described it as good news for APC.

The former Presidential Spokesman described Oborevwori as a weak and compromised candidate who will find it impossible to explain why Deltans should give him and his fellow travellers another opportunity to mortgage the future of the state with more humongous loans with nothing to show.

He called on Deltans to resist Oborevwori, PDP and Governor Ifeanyi Okowa with their ballots, insisting that the PDP Governorship candidate who could not run a House of Assembly, definitely cannot govern a complex state like Delta.

His words: “Oborevwori’s victory at the Appeal court in the certificate fraud case against him by David Edevbie is good news. Oborevwori is the obvious weak link in the 2023 guber race.

“What more can you ask for when you have a Sheriff whose only claim to fame is a specious “street credibility,“ in a state gripped by a selfsame street anomie, a soaring crime wave, unemployment, greed and wickedness.

“What more can you ask for when Delta youths, already seething with anger, have been presented Okowa, the loan master’s main acolyte; his partner in mindless borrowing; his cheerleader in general misplacement of priorities, ineptitude, cluelessness and brinkmanship?

“Deltans do not want the continuation of a government that has pauperized and inflicted untold hardship on them; neither do they want a Sheriff coming to town just to ride roughshod over them: a Sherrif who foreshadows a coming lawlessness, dictatorship and lack of accountability.

Niboro enjoined Deltans to join hands with Delta APC to rescue the state from stranglehold of PDP, stressing that “APC’s Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, is leading the charge to chase out the locusts and cankerworm in human form feasting on our commonwealth at the expense of millions of our dehumanized and dispossessed people”.

Rume Ima Niboro,

Director, Communications and Media Strategy,
Delta APC Gubernatorial Campaign Organisation.

30th August, 2022

Okowa lauds FG over oil facilities surveillance contract

Delta Governor and Vice-Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has commended the Federal Government for awarding oil facilities surveillance contract to a firm owned by Chief Government Ekpemupolo, an indigene of Niger Delta.

He said that the award indicated that the government heeded his advice for a review of oil facilities surveillance contracts to involve oil-bearing communities to check rising cases of oil theft, which he gave when a Federal Government delegation on oil-theft issues visited him recently in Asaba.

The delegation, which included the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Lucky Irabor and Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Ltd., Mallam Mele Kyari was led by Minister of State for Petroleum, Chief Timipre Sylva.

The governor pointed out that giving the job to people from Niger Delta would give them a sense of belonging and help to curtail the rising incidence of oil theft with its attendant effect on the nation’s economy.

Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Olisa Ifeajika, gave the commendation at a news conference, on Tuesday, in Asaba, and said that it was high time host communities, which suffer severe impacts of oil exploration and exploitation in the region were partners in the process and benefited from the proceeds.

According to him, giving surveillance contracts to indigenes was the way to go since they know the terrain very well and would put in their best to guard the facilities.

“A few weeks ago, the Federal Government delegation was here in Delta led by Minister of State for Petroleum, Chief Timipre Sylva; Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor and the Managing Director/CEO of the NNPC Limited, Mele Kyari and other stakeholders visited Governor Ifeanyi Okowa.

“Their mission was to ask the that governor as a stakeholder in the Niger Delta, to assist in whatever way to curb, if not end, oil theft that according to them was sabotaging our economic re-engineering.

“Our Governor’s admonition was that to check the rising oil theft cases, the Federal Government should involve the oil-bearing communities, where the oil is produced.

“And, to involve them, the surveillance contracts for oil facilities surveillance in the area should be reviewed.

“In otherwords, make them to own it, let them be partners because if you make them part of it, they will guard, police and protect it.

“They will do anything to make sure that they protect it, but if you alienate them from it, they will leave it and allow anything to happen to it,” he said.

He said the state was happy to hear that just a few days after visit, the Federal Government listened to Governor Okowa’s advice and awarded the surveillance contract to Chief Government Ekpemupolo popularly known as Tompolo.

“The thrust here is that a few days after, that injunction by Governor Okowa was adopted by the Federal Government. I am sure that it was through the instrumentality of the delegation that came to Delta.

“We will like to commend them for that because involving host communities is kernel to policing oil facilities and checking oil theft and other vices that occur in the process.

“Across Niger Delta, the government ‘s step was applauded and commended because it is not just for Tompolo but to the host communities.

“The good thing here is that Federal Government heeded good counsel by accepting the advice of our Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, by giving the surveillance contract to Tompolo.

“So, we are commending the government for listening to the cries of host communities, because if they cannot own the oil blocks, let them, at the least, participate in the ones they can,” he said.

On striking university lecturers in the country, Okowa’s spokesman described the situation as deplorable and called on the Federal Government to come and understudy how Delta Government was managing four universities and enjoying industrial harmony.

He said that the same way Okowa advised Federal Government on oil theft, they should listen to him on education to understand how he and his team were managing four universities, running without strike.

“They should come and learn how Delta is keeping lecturers on campus while lecturers in federal universities have been on strike acrossthecountry since February.

“There is industrial harmony in our universities in Delta and all higher institutions in the state are in session.

“If you will recall that after we concessioned the Asaba Airport, the Federal Government sent an aviation team to Delta to find out how the concession was done,” he stated.

On Sheriff Oborevwori’s Appeal Court victory, Ifeajika described it as a family affair and a call for all party members to close ranks and come together and build the party to face the major opposition.

UPHOLDING CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS IS THE BEDROCK OF THE RULE OF LAW AND CIVILITY; OKPE UNION CANNOT BE DIFFERENT.*

When government officers are sworn in, their oaths of office entail an affirmation that they would abide by the Constitution and laws of the state. Similarly, when elected officers of organisations whether social groups, ethnic unions and others, are sworn into office, they take oath or swear to abide by the respective constitutions of the associations.

Any deviation from those oaths of offices is condemnable and even impeachable in many instances. We therefore call on all Okpe people to support and defend members of the elected National Executive Council of the Okpe Union for standing firm in the face of the autocratic, and unwarranted attempt to forcefully take over the administration of the Okpe Union by imposing non members of the Okpe Union to take over the administration of the over ninety two years old organisation which has had a history of peaceful democratic transfer of its leadership. Succeeding in undemocratically taking over the administration of the Okpe Union would result in the enslavement of the Okpe masses.

We therefore call on Okpe people and lovers of democracy and justice to support the legal actions embarked upon by the elected National Executive Council of the Okpe Union led by Prof Igho Natufe to stop the impostors from parading themselves as the leadership of the Okpe Union.

Allowing traditional and political leaders to hijack the Okpe Union as against the constitutional and historical position that only members of the union through delegates from branches in a General Assembly Meeting choose its leadership, would amount to the Okpe people allowing themselves into slavery. The Okpe Union is historically funded by membership dues to avoid control by politicians and self serving personalities.

May God save the Okpe Nation. Amen!

Akpederin K.E. Esq.,
*General Secretary, the Okpe Union.*

Issues-based campaigns guarantee peaceful elections – Kingsley Wali
A good governance crusader and social justice promoter, Kingsley Wenenda Wali, has emphasized the need for political parties, their candidates and supporters to adopt issue-based campaigns, as the country prepares for the official commencement of electioneering activities for the 2023 general election from the 28th of September.
Wali is the Convener of the Unity House Foundation (UHF), an advocacy group that promotes civil conversations, progressive and development-based politics, election of credible candidates into public offices, and engages in leadership training, human capacity building, skill acquisition and entrepreneurial development for youths and women.
The UHF leader maintained that it is only through issue-based electioneering process that peaceful polls leading to the election of the right candidates for the various political offices can be guaranteed.
Noting that elections should not be seen as a do-or-die affair, he wondered “Why some politicians find it so convenient to believe that it’s either they are in power, or no one else. They engage in rhetorics that intimidate the fickle minded and recruit the gullible. In the end, the people are less informed about what the issues really are. They end up making wrong decisions.
“Well, we must all come to terms with the fact that if this is about public service, then we must return to talking about the issues that will bring hope and development. Every nation or community, must be told why tomorrow is going to be better. Creating a state of national despondency or despair, only helps to create a society of the desperate or desperadoes. No society ever grows when desperadoes are captains.”
“When certain politicians demand that we engage in issues based campaigns and national debates, we must take up the challenge, so we can give our community, state and nation a fighting chance. Let’s learn to bring out the best and not the beast in us. We must celebrate the beautiful and competent ones in our midst, and not promote the garrulous brigands who threaten our peace and civil coexistence. Let’s begin to say the right things about who we are and how we used to engage in civil debates.”
He pleaded that “We must start talking about issues such as free or qualitative education, housing and urban renewal, health insurance schemes and how to revamp our health facilities, decentralization of development, agricultural and industrial revolutions and how we want to achieve those, so as to create jobs and guarantee safe and secure community.
“We must start identifying aspirants/candidates and parties with certain expectations. We can’t build our tomorrow on the abilities of people who accessed party tickets because they have boys – another way of gratifying criminality. Or electing people because they are cultists, bunkerers, kidnappers or even known murderers. These are the competences they are coming with, and why their parties nominated them in the first place.
“We must promote quality service delivery by insisting on civil conversations. We must encourage a process where those who have something to offer, can feel it’s safe to bring themselves forward to serve the public. Let’s insist on issues based campaign. This will help us assess the candidates and be well informed about the choices we want to make.
“As a community, we must condemn violent rhetorics, libelous and slanderous comments, campaigns or statements that promote hate and fear. One way of guaranteeing peaceful elections is peaceful campaigns. WE CAN DO IT.”