By Ndubuisi Michaels
Vice-Presidential Candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Governor of Delta, Sen. (Dr) Ifeanyi Okowa has urged Nigerians to vote Atiku Abubakar and all PDP candidates in the 2023 elections to ensure that prevailing hunger, poverty and insecurity in the country were eliminated.
Okowa made the call on Thursday at the party’s campaign at Oshimili North and Oshimili South Local Government Areas of the state, and said that the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government had taken Nigerians many years backwards with its inept administration.
He said that the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration had destroyed the nation’s socio-economic system, including the educational sector where the government allowed university lecturers to be on strike for eight months.
According to him, because God sanctioned my nomination for Vice-Presidency and put me on the PDP presidential ticket, He has finished the work for us.
“Aside the fact that PDP gave us the Vice-Presidential ticket which we have not seen since the creation of Delta and even Bendel, we need to work hard to justify that confidence reposed in us.
“In 2019, Delta produced the highest votes for the PDP in South-South and this time that we have been given Vice Presidential ticket, it is our duty to double the votes because the APC has spoilt Nigeria with hunger, insecurity, disunity, ASUU strike and that’s not what we want as a country.
“The APC has no human face, they are angry that we are empowering our youths and women with skills to enable them own their businesses and become employers of labour.
“If God put you in position of authority you need to lead with a human face and that is why Atiku-Okowa ticket will bring Nigerians out of hunger and poverty,” he said.
On the governorship election, Okowa said that the party was supporting Sherrif Oborevwori and Monday Onyeme because they were politicians with worthy characters.
“We have been uniting Delta by working everywhere in unity and as I am leaving, an Urhobo man is coming and I know that he has common sense and he is very humble.
“I have known Sheriff Oborevwori for over 21 years and God has been very helpful to him to have become the longest serving Speaker in the history of our state.
“We will pepper APC with our votes and we will elect all candidates of the PDP to continue our youth empowerment programmes.
“I thought that as we are empowering the people, the APC will appreciate us but they are complaining, and no wonder they are using hunger to kill our people,” he added.
He accused the Deputy President of the Senate and APC Governorship Candidate in the state for lying to Deltans that his administration didn’t do anything in Asaba.
“Sometime ago, the APC governorship candidate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, came to Asaba and tried to deceive our people that we didn’t do anything in Asaba.
“When I heard his lies I began to wonder whether he was referring to the same Asaba that we built roads, a modern State Secretariat , Dennis Osadebay University, Leisure Park, Film Village and Zoo.
“Need we talk about the Flyover and Interchange at Koka Junction? But I am particularly happy about the storm drainage project which has deflooded Asaba and environs.
“As we have done in Asaba so we are replicating it in Warri, Effurun and environs and so we have decided as a party to support a grassroots politician, an amiable and humble personality in Rt Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori to continue from where we will stop.”
The Governorship Candidate, Chief Sheriff Oborevwori, on his part, said he had learnt a lot from Governor Okowa, and assured that he would deploy the experience garnered over the years to bear in the administration of the state.
“In politics there is time and seasons and the past seven and half years have been very awesome because I went through the Okowa political school.
“Those that knew me before 2015 and now know the difference, I have learnt to be more humble and I have also learnt how to listen more and that’s how I was able to lead the assembly successfully in the last 6 years.
“Many people have passed through this school and I have passed through it successfully and I have been given a certificate to take over the mantle of leadership of this state.
“I will consolidate on what Okowa has done with my MORE Agenda and I can assure you that I will not disappoint Deltans with the confidence reposed in me. I want to assure you that I will keep to my MORE Agenda because it is my covenant with Deltans,” Oborevwori stated.
He commended the Anioma nation for supporting Delta Central for the governorship ticket and assured that he would not disappoint Deltans.
State Chairman of the party, Chief Kingsley Esiso, said he was happy that the people of Oshimili North and Oshimili South were totally committed to the liberation of Nigerians from the shackles of poverty and insecurity created by the APC-led administration.
“I am happy and convinced because from the crowd here today there is no other political party in this local government.
“I am happy because the people of this local government have rejected the APC with their hunger, poverty and insecurity and this time around the PDP is on a mission to reset and rebuild Nigeria.
“APC came with their lies and propaganda and destroyed Nigeria and by the grace of God and by your support APC will never happen to Nigeria again.
“Nigerians have decided to join the rescue train of the PDP with Atiku Abubakar as the Chief Driver and Deltans are particularly happy with the ticket because since the creation of Nigeria nobody from the state has ever been selected to be Presidential running mate.
“But our own performing Governor Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, Delta will produce the next Vice-President.
“Having destroyed our economy, security and social life, the APC is bringing a sick man to come and cure a sick country, we will not allow them,” Esiso stated.
Director-General of the State Campaign Council, Chief Funkekeme Solomon urged Nigerians to reject the APC at all levels adding that the APC had so deceived our people and rubbished the work done by the PDP over time.
At Akwukwu-Igbo, a former chieftain of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Mr John Azike, and no fewer than 100 members of the party, defected to the PDP.
Azulike, who addressed the mammoth crowd, said he was joining the PDP alongside his supporters to support Governor Okowa who “is a Vice-President in waiting.
“We are also supporting the PDP because of the incoming Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, who has presided over the state Assembly for years without any crisis,” he stated.
