By Ovie Okpare
The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2023 general elections in Delta State, Rt.Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, on Sunday met with the immediate governor of the state, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan.
Oborevwori, who is the speaker of the State House of Assembly, described the former governor as one of political leaders who groomed him into present political position.
This is coming a day after the former governor, for the first time, publicly endorsed Oborevwori as his preferred choice to succeed Governor Ifeanyi Okowa as the next governor of the state in 2023.
Uduaghan, while addressing leaders of the PDP in Delta South senatorial district at his Warri residence on Saturday, threw his weight behind governorship ambition of Oborevwori and the presidential candidate of the party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and his running mate, Governor Okowa.
The former governor had in the meeting told party leaders and supporters that work for all candidates of the party, noted that it was only God that gives power and charged PDP faithful to ensure that Oborevwori and others win the forthcoming polls.
But speaking in Effurun on Sunday when he attended the meeting of the Federal Government College, Warri Old Students’ Association (FEGOCOWOSA), Oborevwori said he was one of former Governor Uduaghan’s product.
Oborevwori, who was Security Adviser to Uduaghan, commended the former governor for supporting his governorship ambition, promising not to disappoint in consolidating on the achievements recorded by successive PDP governments in the state.
“My boss, it is a privilege and honour to be here today. I got the information that the Old students of the Federal Government College, Warri, are having a meeting and I decided to come over here to greet you people, but didn’t know my boss and immediate past Governor of Delta State, His Excellency, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan was here.
“When I got here and saw his car, I was shocked and I am happy meeting him here. He is a very humble, very calm and a very focused leader. He is a man of little words, but full of actions because I have worked with him when he appointed me as Special Adviser on Security. I thank you, Sir.
“I am part of your product because if I am bad, you have a bad product. His Excellency, I am here to greet you and use this medium to thank you. Thank God I have the opportunity to address the house for few minutes. This is not a political rally, I know some will not like it but as a Warri boy, I know you will like it.”
Accompanied by the Deputy Chief Whip of the State House of Assembly, Hon Solomon Ighrakpata and the member representing Warri South 1 and Chairman, House Committee on Health, Hon Augustin Uroye, Oborevwori said he has the capacity and experience to the lead the state.
He added that he was familiar with the needs and challenges confronting various parts of the state, saying that will not disappoint Deltans if given the chance to govern the oil-rich state.
“I know the terrain very well, I know what the people need and I believe this is the opportunity for Delta Central to produce a Governor. I have served for five and half years as a Speaker in the most vibrant House of Assembly in this country and as the Deputy National Chairman of the Conference of Speakers of States Legislature of Nigeria, no Speaker in the history of Delta State has spent three years or no Speaker has moved from one Assembly to another Assembly and no Speaker has held position at the national level.
“The primaries of our party have come and gone and this is the time for all of us to come together as one family and work together to win the election and I will not disappoint Deltans if elected Governor next year”, the PDP gubernatorial candidate stated.
In his remark, Uduaghan reaffirmed his support for Oborevwori’s candidacy, declaring that he was solidly behind him for next year’s elections.
According to him, “I am sincerely excited that you are here today, something happened on Saturday, November 12th, 2022. I said something somewhere at a meeting and it has been trending in the social media. Many people were surprised that I spoke like that, that I have identified with you properly, it was assumed I was critically against you. Like I told them at the meeting on Saturday, there is no transition from a sitting Governor to a non sitting Governor that it is very easy.
“A Pastor told me when I was passing through my own, if it is easy that you can drink tea with cold water, it is not possible. The tea has to go through hot water for it to be drinkable, that means sometime to achieve something, you must go through some kinds of heat, we all go through it. You are going through your own heat now, you are going through the heat now and by God’s Grace, you will come out well in Jesus name, Amen.
“I have openly identified with you on Saturday to kill a lot of rumours. Since on Saturday, I have not slept, I have been receiving a lot of messages, why did you do that? Why did you do that? I did it out of my personal convictions, we are humans and we have our divisions. We have issues everywhere. Always, there are issues even from the swearing in, when you sit on that seat and lead us more until then, problem will continue every minute, everyday, but by God’s grace, you have a lot of pushings in absorbing every multiple problems and we are part of the push, we are behind you. Delta State will benefit a lot from your administration if elected Governor next year.”
Earlier, Chairman, FEGOCOWOSA Warri Home Branch, Prince Akpobome Ejinyere, lauded the Delta PDP governorship candidate, for attending their meeting and said expectations from Deltans from him when elected as governor in 2023 general elections are high.
He equally expressed gratitude to the immediate past governor of the state, Dr Uduaghan, an old student of the Federal Government College, Warri for identifying with them.
