By David Eneh, Warri
Deputy Senate President Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, on Thursday April 14, 2022 made public declaration to contest for the governorship of Delta state. He declared to run under the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The event which took place at Federal University of Petroleum Resources FUPRE, Effurun, was attended by a large number of persons drawn from both within and outside Delta state.
Dignitaries present at the event were Dr. Otive Igbuzor, Chief of Staff to Deputy Senate President, governor of Kogi state, Yahaya Bello who was represented by Edward Onoja, Imo state governor represented by his deputy Placid Njoku, Ayiri Emami, Peter Nwaoboshi, Senator representing Delta North, elder Frank Ovie Kokori, member of the APC board of trustees, Chief Olorogun Otega Emerhor, founding leader of APC in Delta State, both local and national renowned leaders of the party.
Others were the minister of transportation, Rotimi Amaechi who was also represented; members of the National Working Committee (NWC) led by the South-South chairman of the party, Victor Giadom; as well as leaders of APC in the state.
While declaring his intention for the governorship of Delta state, he recounted his legacy in the state and narrated how his stewardship in the senate has favoured all Deltans across the three senatorial districts.
According to him: “By the blessings of the Almighty God and the grace of our people here, you sent me to the senate in 2015 and while in the senate, I represented you well.
“While in senate by the grace of Mr. President Mohammadu Buahri, I emerged the deputy president of Nigeria and, I want to acknowledge him for standing with me.
“In 2019, I came back to you again, asking for your mandate, that if you send me back to the senate, I will do a lot of things. Well, I am here to report to you today that all the promises I made to you in 2015 and 2019, I have fulfilled all of them.
“Today, because of your mandate, every village and community in Urhobo land all have solar power street lights. Also, every community is powered with additional transformer.
“Today, because of the mandate you gave to me, almost all communities in Delta central have their primary and secondary schools renovated. Every community in Delta Central has a health center.
“This same mandate and with the support of Buhari, we now have a brand new Federal Polytechnic here in Delta state.
“As we speak, because of the support of Mr. President Buhari, senate president and my colleague senator Peter Nwaoboshi, we now have a campus of the Nigerian Law School meant for the entire South-south zone also coming to Delta state.
“All these we have done for Delta central but one of the biggest things we plan to do in other areas is to establish a new Federal University of Agriculture in Aboh, Ndokwa East local government area, I am going to be doing it with Senator Peter Nwaoboshi, and no one else.
“However, I want to move away from my comfort zone where I serve only the Central, to go where I can serve and bring the same benefit to the whole of Delta state,” he said.
Agege also recounted how Okowa’s administration marginalized Ijaw nation, Ndokwa and Isoko, stating that his governance will balance the inequalities in the state.
He went further to allege that Okowa lavishes the sum of N2bn every month on those who do not contribute to the state; thereby ignoring the civil servants in the state.
However, other chieftains and leaders of the party during their remark, charged Deltans to ensure they hand over power to APC this time if they must have a better state in 2023.
In his remark, Chief Kokori said he has been in the struggle of liberating people as a former union leader, adding that in 2015, Nigeria was rescued from the pangs of PDP. He said he has come to his home state to join force with Omo-Agege and other like minds to rescue Delta.
“I have suffered for freedom, I spent so many years in dungeon to remove the military. I am happy that in my lifetime, I am going to see a change of government in Delta state,” Kokori said.
Similarly, the South-South chairman of the party, Victor Giadom declared that Delta was ripe enough for APC to harvest in 2023.
