Delta State Commissioner for Information, Mr Charles Aniagwu has given insight on why Deltans roundly rejected the governorship bid of Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege.
He said that Deltans were comfortable returning the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governorship Candidate, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori because of the antecedents of the party and its candidate over the years.
Speaking on “The Morning Show” on Arise TV on Sunday, Aniagwu said Omo-Agege had questionable character as regards his involvement in the Senate mace saga, adding that Deltans were not ready to elect a man of questionable integrity.
He pointed out that Omo-Agege was so desperate to become governor that he threw caution to the wind by engaging in malicious propaganda against Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and the State Government even when he wasn’t on same ballot with him.
According to him, the PDP has been winning fair and square in Delta and repeated same feat because the party campaigned vigorously across the 270 wards in the state with visible projects that dots the nooks and crannies of the state.
“The PDP won largely on account of three major factors. One, the performance of Gov. Okowa to the street credibility of Oborevwori and his touch with the grassroot and then the desire of Deltans not to have Omo-Agege as the next governor of the state based on his antecedents.
“I am sure you can recall what happened in the Senate where the mace was tempered with, so that is not something that Deltans were looking forward to so that we are not mocked of having a governor who rustled mace in the Nigerian Senate,”
On claims of violence in some parts of the state during the governorship election, the Information Commissioner said the election was largely peaceful except the APC enclaves where they tried to forcefully have their way against the wishes of the people particularly in Orogun where Omo-Agege hails from and parts of Ethiope West.
“You will recall that INEC raised alarm that staff sent to conduct elections in Orogun were held hostage for days by the APC governorship candidate, Ovie Omo-Agege.
“Beyond some of these skirmishes, the election in Delta passed the credibility test in terms of the fact that people were allowed to vote freely and so what the APC are claiming tells a lot more on propaganda rather than the facts on ground.”
On continuing with some of the major projects of the Okowa administration, Aniagwu said the Governor-Elect, Sheriff Oborevwori being Speaker of the State House of Assembly in the last 6 years was acquainted with the development trajectory of the state and would do everything within his powers to consolidate on Okowa’s projects and programmes for the good of the people.
“Oborevwori has been an integral part and parcel of the very many initiatives of Governor Okowa led administration and we have enjoyed the support of the legislative arm since 2015.
“Every of our policies were grounded in law because Okowa having had experience in the Nigeria Senate was able to realise that programmes and policies can be strengthened by taking advantage of legislative procedures,” he said.
He remarked that the Okowa administration had reversed the trend of high unemployment and low skill acquisition in the state by engaging in skills training programmes for youths of the state.
“Through our many training programmes and platforms, under Youth Agricultural and Entrepreneurship Programme YAGEP, we have trained youths in piggery, aquaculture, crop farming among others while many youths were also trained and equipped in various skills under our Skills Training and Entrepreneurship Programme STEP.
“Directly, over 17,000 youths were trained and equipped and they have multiplied remotely to over 120,000 youths across the state with new skills and are now self employed.
“Delta remains the only state in Nigeria that established three new universities at once and today we have four state-owned universities.
“These four universities are running to the extent that even when other universities were on strike during the eight months strike, our universities and other higher institutions were running because Governor Okowa through the support of the House of Assembly led by Sheriff Oborevwori has been able to provide the much needed environment for them to thrive.
“And so Oborevwori will not only sustain these legacy programmes and projects, he will run with them for the good of all Deltans as he has encapsulated in his M.O.R.E Agenda,” Aniagwu added.
