2023: Validity Of Speaker Oborevwori’s Endorsement By Delta Political Vanguard, DTHA Members, Others

By Fred Latimore Oghenesivbe Esq
#eacgovdelta

The media has been flooded by all kinds of political upper cuts, flowing from the timely denial of endorsement of any governorship aspirant by the Governor of Delta State, Senator Dr Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa, who spoke through the State Information Commissioner, Hon Charles Aniagwu, on the matter.

The pronouncement tends to confuse party faithful, numerous supporters and teeming members of Delta Political Vanguard, DPV, across the state, party faithful of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, as to who is the real crown prince of Government House Asaba in the present dispensation. Do not be confused.

PDP governorship candidate shall be determined by the party delegates, in May. It has not changed and the governor’s recent clarification further reechoed his candid promise to ensure credible primaries. However, I want us to examine certain facts which I have clearly articulated below.

I plead with you to painstakingly read this piece to the very last paragraph as I deal with issues chronically and in the pyramid of facts and political realities. And by the time you finish reading this piece, your fears, doubts and self inflicted confusion will disappear. You will be able to understand issues clearly and able to take appropriate decision in respect of endorsements so far earned genuinely by Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori, and the way forward.

Fact Number One: Who Among The Governorship Aspirants Published On Social Media Claiming Endorsement By Gov Okowa?

Answer: It was Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi, an industrialist cum world acclaimed Criminologist who went to town, telling Nigerians and Deltans via the social media that the state governor had endorsed him as his successor. His claims was widely publicised and shared on social media especially WhatsApp and Facebook platforms. The evidence abound for all Deltans to see.

Gbagi, it was who also said that our national leader and former governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori also endorsed him, and went further to state that Ibori will never deny saying so. The various publications are there as evidence. No other governorship aspirant made that claim, only Ologorun Gbagi.

Gbagi, it was who also said that our dear elder statesman and father to the state governor, Pa Arthur Okowa, also endorsed him. That was before our Daddy rested in the bosom of our Lord Jesus Christ. This was also denied by the patriarch of the Okowa dynasty before he left us not too long ago. The publications are all stored in my hard disc.

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Gbagi, it was who sometimes ago said that the President General Worldwide of Urhobo Progress Union, UPU, Olorogun Moses Taiga and his Exco endorsed him. A false claim UPU and Taiga denied unequivocally via the mass media in a press statement signed by the Union’s spokesperson, Hon Abel Oshevire. The facts are there, the publications are stored in hard disc for future reference.

I personally have lost count of those who Olorogun Gbagi claimed to have endorsed him in the past. Therefore, if there is any aspirant who had gone to the public to openly claim the endorsement of our amiable governor, that individual and governorship aspirant was Chief Gbagi, still Gbagi at the moment and Gbagi alone.

From this day forward, Olorogun Gbagi can no longer do that. He must never drop the governor’s name to oil the machinery of his governorship ambition, going forward.

Fact Number Two: Is it lawful for Delta Political Vanguard, DPV, To Endorse Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori as Preferred Governorship Candidate?

Answer: YES. I read one insensitive and laughable piece or story linked to Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi, wherein it was stated that DPV is made up of political appointees seeking either elective office or reelection. What a childish and distasteful comment!

Let me state it clearly to educate Olorogun Gbagi and his supporters that DPV was inaugurated in 2012/2013, long before Okowa became the governor of Delta State. The drivers of the group are still the same people piloting her affairs till date.

The enviable electioneering roles the group played, especially grassroots mobilization during the 2015 governorship election in massive support of governor Okowa earned some of the members juicy appointments in this administration and DPV shall again demonstrate her superior capacity in the forthcoming general elections in the state. DPV is the most formidable political pressure group in Delta State, and I stand to be corrected.

Therefore, it is not correct for either Olorogun Gbagi, his supporters or anybody for that matter to allege that DPV is a gathering of reelection seekers. Far from it. DPV is a highly consolidated and well grounded political pressure group made up of experienced political tacticians and grandmasters in the game of politics.

And any politician or aspirant who cast undeserved negative aspersions at DPV, does so at his or her perils. Olorogun Gbagi must know and acknowledge this fact. I know that Gbagi or his agents will respond to this article and call me all sorts of names, but the fact remains that DPV is made up of political heavyweights and system stakeholders that cannot be ignored or downplayed in this electioneering dispensation in Delta State.

Another point relevant to facts in issue is that all political appointees are politicians and it was the various roles they played before, during and after elections that pave way for their appointments; except a few professionals appointed to handle critical or sensitive assigned responsibilities. Therefore, you cannot divorce political appointees from playing electioneering politics, not possible in Nigeria, not anywhere in the world.

The massive endorsements of Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori by DPV was proper, lawful and well attended by all stakeholders including; the Honourable Commissioner for Information, Hon Charles Aniagwu, Finance Commissioner, Diokpa Fidelis Tilije, Chief of State to the Governor, Rt Hon Festus Ovie Agas, State Director of Protocol, Hon Ifeanyi Eboigbe, JP.

Also in attendance at the endorsement of Rt Hon Oborevwori are; Chairman of Desopadec, Hon Evangelist Michael Diden aka Ejele, Managing Director of Desopadec, Bashorun Askia Ogie, EDFA of Desopadec/Patron of CMPG, Chief Barr John Nani, All Officers of DPV across the three Senatorial Districts of 25 local governments, some Chairmen of local government councils, ward councillors, et al.

The epoch endorsement event in honour of Mr Speaker, was ably anchored by the Executive Assistant on Protocol Matters to the Governor of Delta State, Pastor TOS Powell who has been the official Spokesperson of DPV from inception.

Yours sincerely, Eacgov Oghenesivbe, was unavoidably absent from the endorsement ceremony due to other pressing official engagements. The fact remained that Oghenesivbe, the Pen Eagle is also Sheriffied.

Fact Number Three: Does DPV Endorsement of Oborevwori or Eacgov Fred Latimore Oghenesivbe’s article titled: WHY DELTANS ARE SHERIFFIED meant Endorsement of Oborevwori by Gov Okowa?

Answer: NO. Under relevant sections of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as amended, rights of individual citizen subsists and every citizen is held responsible or accountable for his or her actions. This include right to political association, of participation and freedom of expression. Eac Oghenesivbe is a member of Delta Political Vanguard, Ethiope East Chapter and any decision of the group is binding on him instata.

To set the records straight, political appointees are not barred from joining political pressure groups, not barred by the subsisting Electoral Act, not barred in the federal constitution of Nigeria. It must be stated that commonsense is not Law.

It is wrong to insinuate that because an appointee is the governor’s Aide, he or she has been technically denied fundamental rights enshrined in the constitution. It must be clearly stated and correctly too that being an Aide to the Governor does not repudiate one’s fundamental rights to freedom of association, of choice and of expression, not also stated I’m the Electoral Act.

All political appointees who are members of political pressure groups must abide by or with decisions made by the general meeting of their groups and to that extent adhere strictly, not minding petty politics by detractors.

Fact Number Four: Does Gov Okowa’s recent denial not to have endorsed any governorship aspirant nullified DPV and DTHA Members Endorsement of Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori as preferred governorship candidate?

Answer: NO. The Endorsement by DPV, House of Assembly Members, Urhobos in Diasporas and many other groups are valid, subsisting and to the enviable credit of the Sheriffied crooner and famous aspirant, Rt Hon Oborevwori.

The denial by the governor only settled the issue of him being neutral in the process leading to PDP primaries. The governor will at the end join the campaign train of successful aspirants flying the PDP flag and that include the party gubernatorial candidate that will emerge in the month of May, this year. The governor is bound as the party leader to support and campaign for candidates legally flying PDP flags after party primaries.

I earnestly and fervently pray for the emergence of Sheriff Oborevwori as the party candidate at the forthcoming PDP primaries, because his MORE Agenda is what Delta requires the most at the moment to grow and to develop rapidly. The MORE socioeconomic remodelling plan is in tandem with governor Okowa’s Stronger Delta Agenda with additions and upscale modifications. You don’t want to miss it.

Fact Number Five: Can various political pressure groups and prominent individuals continue to endorse Sheriff Oborevwori or any other Aspirant as their preferred governorship candidate?

Answer: YES. However, the state governor as the leader of PDP and father to all Deltans is not permitted to endorse any aspirant. And no aspirant is permitted to make such claims. The governor will not endorse any aspirant, not now, not before party primaries.

Also NOT permitted to endorse aspirants is the State Party Chairman, Barrister Kingsley Esiso and party Exco members from state to local government and to the ward levels. They are the umpires and gatekeepers. It is absolutely forbidden of them to take side with any aspirant. And no aspirant should make false claim of endorsement by any party Exco member.

Political appointees who are members of various political pressure groups but not members of party Exco at any level, are bound to submit themselves to the collective decisions of their groups. And in the instant case, all appointees who are members of Delta Political Vanguard, DPV, must of a necessity support the candidature of Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori in the forthcoming PDP primaries and at the governorship election in 2023. It is permitted, it is lawful.

Finally, no aspirant is permitted to say that he or she has been endorsed by the governor of Delta State, Senator Dr Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa. He is a neutral stakeholder that must not endorse any aspirant no matter how powerful or wealthy the aspirant may be, and that include Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi who has been dropping the governor’s name in time past.

It is a conventional rule that the governor abstain from endorsing aspirants. It is not targeted at any aspirant, meaning NO MORE GOV OKOWA HAS ENDORSED ME. Stop it, please. That’s what the governor conveyed to all aspirants through the State Commissioner for Information, Hon Charles Aniagwu.

Stronger Delta, Let’s Build Together.