By Eseoghene Emuke
A prominent group in Niger Delta, Voice of Niger Delta For Equity and Justice (VONDEJ) has congratulated the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, on his election victory as President-elect in last Saturday’s presidential election.
VONDEJ also felicitated with a former governor of Edo State and APC senatorial candidate for Edo North, Comrade Adams Oshiomole; renowned chartered accountants and APC senatorial candidates for Delta Central and Delta South, Chief Ede Dafinone and Hon. Thomas Joel-Onowakpo, on their election as senators-elect.
In a statement on Thursday by VONDEJ’s Director-General, Chief Williams Onohwakpor; Deputy Chairman, Amb.Dr. Success Ebierebo Motajo and National Secretary General, Mr. Abdulhazeez Amedu, said the group received the election of Tinubu and his running mate, Senator Kashim Shettima, with joy and thanked Nigerians for their votes.
The group, while felicitating with Tinubu and other candidates of the APC, called on the President-elect to urgently attend to issues of resource control and other sundry challenges including how to make seaports in the region functional his first priority.
The statement, however, commended some leaders of the party in Niger Delta including the governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike; Deputy President of the Nigerian Senate and governorship candidate of the APC, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege; Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipre Sylva; Director, APC Contacts and Mobilisation South-South, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor and Executive Director, NEXIM Bank, Stella Okotete, for giving the party the desired victory.
“Your Excellency, we have received with great joy the news of your election as the 16th President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and on behalf of the management and members of the Voice of Niger Delta For Equity and Justice, we wish to convey to you our heartfelt congratulations and best wishes for success at the poll and pray that your reign as the 16th President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria bring total renewed hope to our people as was encapsulated in your campaign slogan.
“Your resounding victory in the closely contested presidential elections held on Saturday 25th/26th Sunday 2023, is a strong testimony of the unshakeable confidence reposed by the Nigerian people in you and in the All Progressive Congress, APC, in spite of all the teething challenges created by the Central Bank Cash Swap Policy and Nigeria National Petroleum Corporations Limited Fuel Scarcity. We view all these as attempt to bring down the fortune of your Candidacy but to God be the glory, the majority of Nigerians saw this as deliberate and came out in their numbers and voted for you, to lead them in first four (4) years + another four (4) ahead, to continue to strengthen our economy, maintain strong political institutions, protect its borders and give hope to the millions of people around the world especially Nigerians who cherish the values of freedom, unfettered economic growth and the pursuit of their ideals of a better life.
“We of the Voice Of Niger Delta For Equity And Justice look forward to continuing to work with you (as demonstrated in our sensitization / mobilization of voters) and your government, to address the issues of Restructuring, Resource Control, Land degradation, Completion of the East West Road, Dredging of the Warri Sea Port and to make functional every sea ports in the Niger Delta Region, Encourage the International Oil Companies to relocate their headquarters to the region, Re-take over the Delta Steel Company and make it work to provide jobs for our people and every Nigerians, To bring to board the Gas Processing Zone in Delta State, to link all the region States with rail lines, Creation of jobs, Even distribution of appointments, Create level playing field for private businesses to thrive, Strengthen and bring to bear excellent partnership between the Region (being the Revenue Base of the Nation) and Seat of Power over the next four years, for the dishing out of fruitful policies that will inure to our mutual benefit.
“We also use this opportunity to Congratulate all APC Candidates that won across the country, especially Senator Elect, Olorogun Ede Dafinone… Delta Central and Chief Joel Onowakpo .. Delta South and those of the house of Representatives like, Hon. Waive etc. And our great Leaders like Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, Director of Contact and Mobilization, South South, Senator Elect, His Excellency Adams Oshiolemole of Edo State, also His Excellency Wike, governor of river state, Hon. Stella Okotete, Executive Director, Nexim Bank, Chief Timipre Sylva, Minister of State Petroleum and host of others not mentioned.
“We admonish all APC members and supporters to come out en masse to vote the Candidates of our great party for the Governorship and houses of Assembly across board, especially Deputy Senate President, His Excellency Ovie Omo Agege as Governor of Delta State come 11th March 2023.
“We can’t but also Congratulate the Candidates of the Labour Party and Peoples Democratic Party for their Galant Performances at the poll and commend them for their peaceful dispositions.
“We encourage them especially the Obidient family to keep up with their momentum for a time shall come when Obi will become the president of Nigeria, just like what late Dr Chuba Okadigbo told our President elect, His Excellency, Tinubu in 2003”, the statement added.
