Gbagi’s Quest To Reclaim ‘Stolen’ Mandate

By Francis Oghenekome

Any curious Deltan would have noticed that this is the most contested election in the 32 year history of Delta State. The fact that over 15 political parities nominated candidates for the various seats shows how much Deltans want to improve the affairs of the state.

Interestingly, the much anticipated 2023 election has come and gone. It witnessed perhaps one of the greatest form of voter apathy, violence, coercion, and unprecedented level of vote buying. It is without doubt a major setback in the evolution of democratic tenets and a threat to future election

Should Deltans now keep mum and allow injustice to reign supreme to the detriment of its collective existence? It is on this note that Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi, the gubernatorial candidate of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, took the bull by the horn to challenge the declaration of Sheriff Oborewovri of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, as the
Governor-elect in the March 18, 2023 governorship election on a three-ground petition at the Election Petition Tribunal.

Aside challenging Oborewovri’s victory and calling for his nullification, Gbagi has also chosen an unprecedented path by asking the court to disqualify not only Oborewovri, but also Senator Omo-Agege of the All Progressives Congress, APC; Ken Pela of the Labour Party, LP and Chief Great Ogboru of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, and their deputies in a bid to reclaim his ‘stolen’ mandate.

For the first time in the history of Delta State, the contestants and governor-elect have been dragged to court, which is in deep contrast to what obtained in time past.

In retrospect, then governorship candidate, Chief Great Ogboru dragged Chief James Ibori, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan and Sen. Ifeanyi Okowa to court for electoral malpractices, not to disqualify them on grounds of questionable credentials which is the case of Oborewovri, Agege, Pela and Ogboru. In doing so, Gbagi achieved a rare feat which can only be attributed to his political wizardry.

According to Gbagi’s counsel Magaji Mato (SAN), the over 79 pages petition is founded on three grounds of ineligibility of other candidates, non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act and gross irregularities during the conduct of the election.

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In the results declared, Oborevwori of the PDP scored 360,234 to be returned as elected. Ovie Omo-Agege of the All Progressives’ Congress (APC) polled 240,229 votes; Ken Pela of Labour Party polled 48,047, Great Ogboru of All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) secured 11,021 votes and Kenneth Gbagi of Social Democratic Party Gbagi came fifth position with 4,639 votes.

Looking at PDP’s penchant for electoral malpractices, one would have thought that the older a man becomes, the more sober he becomes. Unfortunately, in the case of PDP, it has become even more notorious in the art of rigging.

How could they say Gbagi, who started in 2019 and the first to commence campaigns for the 2023 election, only scored 4,369. Really? They were so shameful that they rigged Gbagi out of his own local government.

Gbagi’s call for their disqualification is a step in the right direction. In Gbagi’s petition, Oborewovri used 14 different names with different years and dates to suit the circumstances of usage. For instance, the governor-elect used Oborevwori O. Francis in June 1999 for his 3rd respondent’s WAEC results submitted to INEC in 2018; on March 20, 2005, he used Oborewovri Sherrif for NYSC certificate exemption; in 2018, he used Oborewovri Sheriff Francis for Tax Clearance Certificate submitted to INEC; the PDP membership card submitted to INEC in 2022, he used Oborewovri Sherrif Francis O. These he did suspiciously on 14 separate occasions! Does it mean that the man has something to hide, because only a person with fraudulent intent will use different names for different purposes. It is shameful that such a man was allowed to contest for such an exalted position in the 21st century! It’s even more shameful, particularly for Delta Central, that of all the informed minds that abound, an unlearned man with such an unenviable background was made standard bearer of PDP. What’s the difference between Oborewovri and MC Oluomo of Lagos State? INEC and the PDP’s electoral committee that cleared Oborewovri did a great disservice to Deltans for allowing him to contest despite his apparent multiplicity of names. Too bad!

Enter the All Progressives’ Congress Agege. Agege’s tale of parliamentary invasion is still fresh on our minds! Agege like Oborewovri followed similar path of names multiplicity. On June 28, 2022, Agege used Omo-Agege Ovie Augustine for INEC Form EC9, 2022; he used Agege Augustine in June 1979 for his West African Senior School Certificate; also on January 1993, Agege used Reginal Clark Bedney for application for driver’s license in the State of New York, USA; Agege used Ronald Shawn Byrd on December 10, 1992, for Application for Identification Card No. B3598638 among other names for suiting circumstances. He changed his name seven times! We are even surprised how Agege was able to score 240,000 in the election! How can any reasonable person think of electing Omo-Agege, a promoter of nepotism that sited five projects he attracted to Delta Central in his village-Orhomuoru? Again, Agege’s choice of Osanebi Friday is an indication of his warped sense of judgement. In Osanebi’s 12 years journey in the Delta State House of Assembly, he could not raise a single motion or join debate at plenary, yet prides himself as Rt Honourable? Agege’s indolent and ineducable running mate also has questionable academic qualifications! Already, owing to his multiplicity of names, Agege is a minus and having a minus as a running mate is catastrophic!

Kennedy Pela of Labour Party and his running mate were also indicted in the Gbagi’s petition on the grounds of eligibility and financial misappropriation. People are talking about governorship contest, and even Ken Pela too came out. Who is Ken Pela? In progressive climes, people like Ken Pela and co-contestants have no business contesting for any public office!

The serial governorship candidate of APGA, Chief Great Ogboru is not left out. How has the mighty fallen! Ogboru was the only governorship candidate loved by Deltans to extent of worship. The same way tennis fans adore the Swiss maestro, Roger Federer and Golf fans love Tiger Woods is same way Deltans loved Ogboru. Unfortunately, Ogboru lost it all when a video of him fraternizing with Governor Okowa, Oborewovri, Uduagha and PDP big wigs surfaced online. Habba! The same PDP who rigged him out of alignment on six separate occasions. What a pity! How can any right thinking person willfully celebrate with his oppressors? Has he lost touch with reality?

Beyond his sheepish alignment with his oppressors, there are questions surrounding his eligibility in the March 18, 2023, gubernatorial election. Gbagi’s petition, where Ogboru and his running mate, Chinedu Sydney are the 12th and 13th respondents provides clarity on his eligibility: “ Your Petitioners aver that the 12th and 13th Respondents were not qualified to contest the election as the 11th Respondent’s candidate as Governor and Deputy Governor for Delta State.

“ Your Petitioners aver that the 12th Respondent did not meet the constitutional requirement for eligibility to contest as Governor of Delta State because he gave false information in his Affidavit in support of personal particulars when he declared and certified that he attended Huron University, University of Kent in Canterbury, 1993 whereas a verification from the school shows that he never attended the institution and therefore lied on oath. A copy of the Verification Report from the University of Kent in Canterbury showing the 12th Respondent never attended the school shall be relied on at the trial and same is pleaded.”Ogboru’s deputy also has similar eligibility questions!

Apparently, Gbagi’s four co-contestants have questionable backgrounds,having changed names at different times in the course of their lives. Oborewovri (14 times), Agege (7 times), his deputy, Friday has no basis at all, Ogboru claimed to have schooled at the University of Kent, but enquiry showed that he never graduated there!

Again, the case between Gbagi and his four co-contestants could be likened to the Biblical story- the account of Elijah and the prophets of Baal in 1st Kings 18, where a contest between Elijah and the prophets of Baal put their God to the test. In the end, their gods failed them, but Elijah’s God sent down fire and the rest is history. Gbagi is the modern day Elijah while his co-contestants are the fake prophets of Baal.

Gbagi has boxed them into a corner in the ring! One could easily conjure a mental picture of Oborewovri, Agege, Pela and Ogboru in the ring trying to wriggle out of the whole situation.

It will take the ingenuity of a SAN to puncture Gbagi’s petition because the issue in contest are verifiable and factual. Once you change your name, the documents are there. The question now is, why will able bodied men change their names as many as 14 and 7 times?

As human, Gbagi may have his flaw which is inherently human, but he is not at the present time encumbered by any baggage which impinges on his integrity. He is not a puppet in the derisive manner in which Sheriff Oborewovri is perceived. Besides, he is not haunted by infamy associated with Senator Ovie Omo-Agege who allegedly masterminded the mace theft at the Senate plenary in 2018. Gbagi didn’t forge any school certificate neither has Gbagi been indicted for alleged mismanagement of public funds. Gbagi has a clean slate!

Gbagi is in a class of his own battling the prophets of Baal for the soul of Delta. What Delta needs at the moment is a man with verifiable record in transparency, accountability, and frugal disposition in resource management. We need a man with frugal disposition in order to drive the course of governance in a manner that will be equitable, just and above all benefit the people. We don’t need a career politician as governor; we need a wealth creator. And only one man fits the bill-Olorogun Keneth Gbagi. The fact that he is an industrialist and is able to manage his companies is a clear indication he will transform Delta if he is able to reclaim his mandate.

The petition that Gbagi has filed should be looked into objectively without bias with a view to delivering justice.