By Felix Ekwu
The All Progressives Congress, APC, has made a strong statement on plans to extinguish the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, from its twenty-four years of ‘calamitous’ rule of Delta State.
The opposition party in the state yesterday Thursday, April 14, 2022, reechoed its resolve to wrestle power from the PDP, when the Deputy President of the Nigerian Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, formally declared his intention to contest the 2023 governorship election in the state before a mammoth crowd of supporters from across the twenty-five local government areas of the state and beyond at the premises of the Federal University of Petroleum Resources Effurun (FUPRE) in Uvwie Local Government Area.
While thanking God and appreciating the unprecedented crowd of supporters gathered Omo-Agege said, “This is a testament to the fact that we are tired of the PDP led administration in Delta State. Your presence here is an indication that we are ready to chase away the Okowa led PDP administration in Asaba”.
Speaking on the promises he made to the people of Delta Central Senatorial District in 2015 and 2019 when they gave him their mandate, Omo-Agege said today almost every village, community and city in the district have solar-powered street lights, additional electricity transformers, primary and secondary schools renovated including construction and renovation of roads as well as other people-oriented projects and programmes.
On bigger achievements, Omo-Agege said with the mandate of the people and huge support from President Muhammadu Buhari, a Federal Polytechnic and a Defence Space School have been sited in Delta Central with a campus of the Nigerian Law School meant to serve the entire South-South geo-political zone also coming soon.
He added, “Very soon you are going to hear that a new Federal University of Agriculture is going to be established in Aboh, Ndokwa East Local Government Area of Delta State.
“Today, I have decided to step out of my comfort zone and move to bring the same benefits to the whole of Delta State. I want an opportunity to also bring the same opportunities to the people of Delta North and to the people of Delta South because what is good for the goose is good for the gander.
“Because we don’t do that, if we just fold our hands and allow Okowa and Co to continue, they will continue to marginalise us.”
Omo-Agege’s governorship declaration was graced by the Governors of Kogi and Imo States, Yahaya Bello and Hope Uzodinma, who were represented by their deputies, and also had in attendance top brass of the APC from the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.
Also visibly on ground for the epoch-making event include the founding leader of APC in Delta and former governorship candidate of the party in 2015, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, the member representing Delta North Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Senator Peter Nwaoboshi, Delta APC chairman, Elder Omoni Sobotie, Chief Frank Kokori, Hon. Paulinus Akpeki, Prophet Jones Erue, Chief Ominimini Obiuwevbi, Chief Ayiri Emami, Chief Doris Uboh, Chief Victor Ogiadom, Felix Morka, Blessing Agbomhere, Chief Ede Edafinone, Chief Hyacinth Enuha, Chief Lucky Esegie, Pastor Otive Igbuzor and Matthew Omonade Alex Eyengh.
They were all in their separate remarks unequivocal on the APC winning the governorship seat and other positions in the 2023 general elections urging the people of the state to jettison the PDP judging by their twenty-four years of misrule of Delta State.
They expressed implicit confidence in Senator Ovie Omo-Agege who has continued to demonstrate commitment and passion to rescue Delta from the clog of the PDP since 1999.
Omo-Agege as governor according to them will herald a new beginning of purposeful leadership that is focused on making visible and meaningful development across the state.