Political gladiators from the three senatorial districts of Delta state under the auspices of Delta Political Vanguard, DPV, an influential pressure group, have vowed to support any of the governorship aspirants that Governor Ifeanyi Okowa opts for as his successor for 2023.
DPV members, mainly PDP faithful, who played major role in Okowa’s emergence as governor, both in 2015 and 2019, converged on Government Field, Agbor, Ika South local government area of the state for the group’s New Year get-together, where the leaders reaffirmed their stand.
Chairman of PDP in the state, Barr. Kingsley Esiso, who agreed with DPV, said the person to decide who the next governor would be is the incumbent, adding: “Therefore, on Okowa, we stand.”
“We want a governor in 2023 that will follow the footsteps of Okowa because we want continuity in road construction, school development, healthcare delivery and human capital development.
“Therefore, the governor in 2023 must be a man that has the capacity and capability to follow the footsteps of Okowa, ” he asserted.
Also speaking, national chairman, DPV, who doubles as chairman, Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission DESOPADEC, Mr. Michael Diden, aka Ejele, said: “My joy today is that we have discussed with people across board.
“We met with DC-23, at the meeting we arrived at one slogan, On Okowa, we stand. We have met with all governorship aspirants in the state and they maintained the same slogan, On Okowa, we stand”.
He charged the governorship aspirants to hold their pastors very strongly for the governor to pick them as standard – bearer of the party.
“My message to all the aspirants is that they should hold their pastors very strong so that Okowa will come one day to raise up his hands and as soon as Okowa raised his hands, there we will go. On Okowa, we stand”, he declared.
Director General, DPV, Hon. Ifeanyi Eboigbe, appreciated members and Deltans who took out time to attend the ceremony.
Chairman, Delta State Civil Service Commission, Chief Nkem Okwuofu, commended the governor for the conducive working environment civil servants now enjoy in their various places of work just as she reiterated the “On Okowa, we stand” slogan.
Other speakers were Chief Tony Oboro, who spoke for Delta Central; Chief John Oguma for elders; Chief Otimeye Adams; Chief Fred Ajudua; Commissioner of Finance, Sir. Fidelis Tilije and Hon Victor Nwokolo, who spoke for members of the House of Representatives from the state, restated the “On Okowa, we stand” slogan.
Former Minister of State for Education and oldest PDP founding member aspiring to govern the state in 2023, Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi, who arrived in grand style with excited supporters singing his praises, shepherded other governorship aspirants that graced the occasion.
Other governorship aspirants present were the Speaker, Rt. Hon Sheriff Oborevwori, former Chief of Staff, Government House, Olorogun David Edevbie, ex-Commissioner for Works, Chief James Augoye and ex-Managing Director, Chief Abel Esievo and others.
