The move by Olorogun David Edevbie, the defeated Delta State PDP gubernatorial aspirant in that party’s primaries to join the lawsuit instituted against the candidacy of Rt. Hon. Sheriff Francis Oborevwori by another PDP member Chief Aghwarianovwe Ikie, brings to fore the challenges of incompetence and capacity of political leadership in Delta State under the PDP. Oborevwori is the current Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly(DTHA). In recent time, Edevbie lost at the Supreme Court when he unsuccessfully challenged the qualification of Oborevwori to be the candidate of the PDP in the 2023 gubernatorial elections under S. 29(5)(6) of the Electoral Act. Ikie’s lawsuit before the Federal High Court, Asaba and Edevbie’s legal maneuvers interrogates Oborevwori’s competence to run for the office of governor of Delta State. In seeking to join Ikie’s lawsuit, Edevbie appears to be making a fresh legal argument that, as a participant like Ikie in the PDP gubernatorial primaries, he has a right to be joined and be heard by the Court in the latter’s consideration on whether Oborevwori is qualified and competent to run for office.
Though there are gubernatorial candidates from other political parties in Delta State for the 2023 elections, the competency issues about the candidacy of Oborevwori are dire and should be concerning to all Deltans. Oborevwori is the anointed and “handpicked” candidate of the PDP and the outgoing governor of Delta State, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa. Thus, questions about Oborevwori candidacy require an objective interrogation in the interest of the State. Delta State is blessed with enormous human resources with unique capacities to bring about the desired economic transformation of the State. There is a correlation between the economic development of a State and the quality of its political leadership. It is arguable that Oborevwori represents the PDP establishment, and perhaps Okowa’s desperate third term agenda. Under Okowa, the PDP has misgoverned Delta State for the last 7 years and counting with little or no concrete economic development achievements commensurate with the over N4.7 trillion federal allocation and billions of IGR that have accrued to the State. Ikie and Edevbie’s legal challenges to Oborevwori candidacy, reflects the poor political judgment of Okowa in handpicking a clumsy candidate in Oborevwori, contrary to basic ‘political common sense’. As a result, most Deltans have questioned whether Okowa and the PDP means well for the progressive development of the State. To make matters worse for Delta State in the 2023 governorship elections, as Speaker of DTHA Oborevwori is visionless and has no record to run on, except rubber stamping Okowa’s perilous proclivity for borrowing that will likely plunge Delta State into a debt crisis running into billions of Naira. Worse still, Oborevwori’s manifesto based on the ill-advised acronym-MORE, is a commitment to double down on the failed economic policies of the PDP and the Okowa administration in Delta State.
For a State that is lagging under every socio-economic index in the last 7 years when compared to other States in the Niger Delta with similar or less federal allocation and IGR revenue, the 2023 governorship election is the best chance for Deltans to elect a governor with the requisite record of public service, education, workable economic ideas, and the competence to deliver the State and bring about the desired economic transformation. In this regard, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, the Deputy President of the Senate and gubernatorial candidate of the APC offers the best alternative and hope for change from the failed PDP government in Delta State especially under Okowa. Unlike Oborevwori, Omo-Agege has the public record, political experience, independence of mind, the proper education devoid of any controversy, and the competence to back his manifesto and be elected as the governor of Delta State. Aside Oborevwori, other candidates in the race are either serial contestants for the office of governor or not serious enough to give Deltans the necessary political leadership and capacity to rescue the State.
Let me attempt to explain why Omo-Agege candidacy stands out and satisfies the competency requirement more than Oborevwori or any other candidate in the race. Omo-Agege is the Senator with the most remarkable legislative achievements from Delta Central Senatorial District since the creation of the State. As a Senator and Deputy President of the Senate, Omo-Agege continue to provide effective and credible representation outperforming the PDP led government under Okowa in attracting economic development projects to Delta Central and beyond in the area of educational infrastructure, rural and urban electrification, ICT investments, human capacity development, construction of water schemes, road construction, youth development and women empowerment, small business loans to deserving Deltans, and monumental recommendation and facilitation of federal appointments to qualified Deltans. Specific projects/bills promoted and influenced by Omo-Agege in the education sector, includes Acts for the establishment of the Federal University of Petroleum Resources (FUPRE) Effurun, Federal University of Agriculture, Aboh, and the Federal Polytechnic, Orogun (FEDORO). The economies of scale of these projects in job creation, employment, and creation of small businesses are huge for the location of these projects and environs. For example, a lecturer or a non-academic staff can live in my hometown of Isiokolo and go to work at FEDORO conveniently. Unlike Omo-Agege, none of the candidates in the 2023 governorship including Oborevwori has the character, temperament, qualification, record of public service, competence, political experience, education, and pedigree to run for the office of governor of Delta State.
In running for governor, Omo-Agege is committing to building a new Delta that all Deltans can be proud of. The Senator’s manifesto is ambitious, credible, and realistic. It is anchored on the economic cornerstones of employment and empowerment, development, good governance, and enduring peace and security. Omo-Agege’s manifesto articulates fresh economic ideas and programs that will modernize, transform, and position the operations of government for economic development and prosperity of all Deltans. If elected by Deltans as governor of Delta State, Omo-Agege has solid plans in place to reduce the rate of employment drastically through job creation, minimizing regulations to ease the doing business, creating industrial hubs to facilitate innovations and the enabling environment to attract foreign investments and the creation of small businesses in the State. Based on his manifesto, the Senator understands that small businesses are the engine rooms for economic revolution. In addition, Omo-Agege plans to run a modern, transformative, open, transparent, and accountable government that will partner with an APC led federal government to revive the ports in Warri, Koko, Sapele, and Burutu. The distinguished Senator plans to prioritize government resources and engage in massive industrialization of the state covering construction of roads to opening the riverine areas for business and other economic activities. Omo-Agege will also tackle the problem of insecurity by facilitating and investing in security trust funds and community policing that will cover every town and city in Delta State.
The major issue in the 2023 governorship elections in Delta State is-which candidate is the most qualified and competent with the best track record of public service and competence to rescue and govern the Delta State effectively. On this issue, Omo-Agege beats Oborevwori, and the other candidates combined by far. Deltans must vote wisely to elect Omo-Agege as the next governor of Delta State. An Omo-Agege administration will resolve the challenges of quality, competence, and purblind political leadership that has beleaguered Delta State for so many years. Oborevwori’s candidacy is too risky for Delta State. Deltans can and should do better.
NB: Dr. Okpe is a lawyer and public policy analyst.
