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Tag: Sheriff Oborevwori

  • Meet Sheriff Oborevwori the Next Governor of Delta State – By Joel Salubi

    Meet Sheriff Oborevwori the Next Governor of Delta State – By Joel Salubi

    By Joel Salubi

    Born in the year Nigeria became a Republic on the 19th of June 1963 to the family of Chief Samuel Oborevwori of Osubi in Okpe Local Government Area of Delta State, the precocious lad was abundantly endowed with social and leadership skills that manifested very early in his life. From the home front, to the larger compound and the neighbourhood, the boy stood out among his peers as one in whom God is well pleased.
    He attended Alegbo Primary School, Effurun for his primary education which he completed in 1977 when he obtained the First School Leaving Certificate (FSLC). He also attended Oghareki Grammar School for his secondary education. Life for him was neither a walk in the park nor a bed of roses. Like Obafemi Awolowo, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Kwame Nkrumah, Barack Obama, and other political greats before him, the young Sheriff had to struggle with existential impediments which, by the grace of God, he overcame. In addition to his natural and amazingly high social and leadership quotient, Hon. Oborevwori is an embodiment of courage which aided the manifestation of his destiny of greatness.

    Realizing that he needed education to excel in life, he proceeded to the Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, where he obtained a Bachelor of Science (B. Sc.) degree in Political Science in 2004. Not to be satisfied with half measures, he went a notch higher by obtaining a Master of Science (M.Sc.) degree also in Political Science from the Delta State University, Abraka, in 2010. He is thus well grounded in politics in theory and in practice.

    In Politics

    Rt. Hon. Oborevwori achieved greatness by dint of hard work and grace in fulfillment of a great destiny. He is probably the only politician since the Fourth Republic in Delta State who not only worked with all the three Governors, but functioned in both executive and legislative arms and enjoyed the singular and rare privilege of being the only Deltan of all times to be elected a Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly consecutively.

    His political sojourn began in 1996 when he was elected as a Councilor in the old Okpe Local Government Area (which then included Udu and Uvwie LGAs). At the beginning of the Fourth Republic, he was a notable mobilizer of people and influencer of public opinion in Okpe and Uvwie where he emerged as a remarkable youth leader with massive followership.

    It took no time before the then Governor of Delta State, His Excellency, Chief James Ibori, spotted him and appointed him as a Special Assistant on Youth Mobilization from 2003 to 2006. Governor Ibori’s successor, His Excellency, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan appointed him as Special Adviser on Land Security from 2007 to 2010. In the heat of the Niger Delta crisis of 2008/2009, Hon. Oborevwori became the Delta State Coordinator of the Amnesty Programme and by so doing contributed to the enhancement of national security and stability. He was later to serve as Senior Special Assistant on Security to Governor Uduaghan from 2012 to 2015.

    His crossover from the executive to the legislature came in 2015 when, in appreciation of his contributions to public service, he was elected to represent the Okpe Constituency in the Delta State House of Assembly. His colleagues, the honourable members of the Delta State House of Assembly, in recognition of his sterling qualities unanimously elected him as Speaker of the Sixth Assembly in 2017, a post to which he was re-elected in 2019 thus making history as the first Deltan to serve as Speaker from one Assembly to another Assembly.

    Rt. Hon. Oborevwori’s political feat is not only depicted in his being the State’s longest-serving Speaker, but in the stability, vibrancy, and resourcefulness he brought to the affairs of the Delta State House of Assembly as well as the overall development of the State. Under his watch, the Delta State House of Assembly became one of the most dynamic in Nigeria. It is in recognition of Rt. Hon. Oborevwori’s legislative acumen and political sagacity that his peers in the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria elected him as Deputy Chairman in 2020 having served as Treasurer from 2018 to 2020. What greater honour and testimony to political greatness could be more than being recognized and honoured by one’s peers nationally?

    A Pan-Deltan and Unifier

    Rt. Hon. Oborevwori is without doubt a rare Pan-Deltan in a class of his own. His political antecedents and social networks across different divides attest to his unassailable Pan-Delta character. He is at home with all the ethnic nationalities in Delta State and his leadership of the Delta State House of Assembly which oversees the interest of the entire State, for so many years, consolidates his Pan-Delta outlook. As Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, the entire State is his constituency. He understands the problems and appreciates the socio-economic and political aspirations of Delta State. As Special Adviser and Amnesty Coordinator, he was focused mostly on Delta South. As a Member representing Okpe in the State House of Assembly, he is at home with Delta Central. As Speaker of the State House of Assembly, he sees Delta North as home. Rt. Hon. Oborevwori thus embodies the triangular makeup of Delta State as depicted in the three Senatorial Districts.

    Rt. Hon. Oborevwori is the kind of Governor a multi-ethnic State like Delta State needs. He is a consensus builder who has forged deep friendships and contacts across the three Senatorial Districts of Delta State. His down-to-earth personality and accessible nature has endeared him to all Deltans. He is at home with the rich and the poor, the educated and uneducated, the powerful and the powerless. It is largely due to his humility and uncanny ability to carry everybody along that he has the rare honour of being the first lawmaker in Delta State to be elected Speaker consecutively.

    For Rt. Hon. Oborevwori, politics is about the people. His political philosophy is anchored on the people’s welfare. This is the reason why from his days as Councilor to the present, his ideology has been people-driven. The nature of the bills he sponsored, his constructive engagements, and his partnership with the Executive arm of Government have all been pro-people. As an individual, he is compassion personified. This reflects in the Oborevwori Foundation which has brought succour to the needy through scholarships, empowerment, and entrepreneurial schemes, and other support programmes for the young and the old.

    Equipped to Serve

    Despite obtaining degrees in Political Science and giving a good account of himself as a politician in view of his rich and variegated practical experience in public office, Rt. Hon. Oborevwori has advanced beyond this moment in preparation for higher responsibilities in a world that is fast changing. His resume is formidable and puts him in good stead to propel the Advancing Delta…MORE agenda.

    Rt. Hon. Oborevwori has built capacity, competence, and character and has enhanced his knowledge with the following:

    i. Certificate in Top Executive Leadership Programme, Manchester Business School, United Kingdom;

    ii. Certificate in Legislative Framework for Budget Management, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, United States of America;

    iii. Certificate in Legislative Management and Leadership, International Law Institute, Washington DC, United States of America;

    iv. Certificate in Leading Inclusive Development, London School of Economics and Political Science, United Kingdom;

    v. Certificate in Advanced Leadership Programme, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom;

    vi. Member, Nigerian Institute of Management (Chartered) and

    vii. Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators,

    among many others

    Conclusion

    Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori is without doubt very well prepared for the high office of Governor. He has undergone full political tutelage. He knows the people and the people are with him. As a political scientist, he understands the issues in theory and practice. He is set to Advancing Delta….MORE. Honoured with the traditional title of Ukodo of Okpe Kingdom, Rt. Hon. Oborevwori runs on grace, courage, and destiny. He is God’s own project as the next Governor of Delta State.

  • Bishop Ide honours Oborevwori with episcopal award

    Bishop Ide honours Oborevwori with episcopal award

    The Bishop of Warri Diocese, Anglican Communion, Rt Rev Christian Esezi Ide JP has honoured the Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori with an episcopal award.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Bishop Ide presented the episcopal award to Oborevwori, who is the governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Delta, on Sunday.

    Speaking at St. Stephen’s Anglican Church Jakpa Road, Effurun, venue of the award, Ide said the Oborevwori was presented with the episcopal award in recognition of his “numerous laudable contributions to the growth of the Church and humanity”.

    The ceremony drew the attendance of the Rt Rev John Aruakpor, the Bishop of Oleh Diocese, and priests in the Warri Diocese.

    Elated and thankful, Oborevwori, who many describe as the incoming Governor of Delta State, said he was humbled by the unexpected honour.

    According to him, “whatever we do, we do for the good of society, in furtherance of our common humanity and to the glory of God”.

    Thanking God for the privilege of contributing to the development of humanity, Oborevwori said the award will inspire him to continue to serve humanity in every way God enables him.

  • Delta 2023 guber: The battle between Oborevwori and Omo-Agege – By Ediri Oyibo

    Delta 2023 guber: The battle between Oborevwori and Omo-Agege – By Ediri Oyibo

    By Ediri Oyibo

    While elections are not do-or-die affairs, they have come to be known literally as battles. Most times, fierce.

    The battle for who takes over from Governor Ifeanyi Okowa is currently raging in Delta State while Okowa himself is fighting his own battle to become the next vice president of Nigeria.

    The governorship primary election of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and that of the All Progressives Congress (APC) pitted the Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori against the Deputy President of the Nigerian Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege for the Delta 2023 gubernatorial election.

    Riding on the popularity of the PDP in Delta State, Oborevwori is being tipped as the candidate likely to win the 2023 governorship election in Delta and take over the helm of affairs of the State from Governor Okowa at Osadebey House.

    Senator Omo-Agege, however, won’t give up, despite the political configuration of Delta being perceived to be working in favour of the PDP. He is doing everything possible to overturn the applecart and emerge Governor of the State.

    Some pundits are of the view that given the history of PDP in the Delta and its stranglehold on power for 24 years now, Oborevwori will likely defeat Omo-Agege by a reasonable margin. They say Oborevwori is projected to garner the majority of votes and win in Delta North because of the Governor Okowa factor.

    According to these political seers, Omo-Agege’s deputy, Friday Osanebi, who is from Delta North as Okowa, does not have the weight to outdo the PDP vice presidential candidate in the district. This is more so as the Governor is said to have done creditably well in Delta North.

    With Delta North in the kitty for the Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Delta Central, where both  Omo-Agege and Oborevwori hail from, will be a battleground. Nevertheless, both candidates will likely share the spoils but Oborevwori, by their calculations, will defeat Omo-Agege in the Senatorial District by a slight margin.

    This is even as Oborevwori’s popularity vote is judged to be weakened in Delta Central by the effect of Chief James Ibori, who is said to be currently sitting on the fence, nursing the aftereffects of the PDP governorship primary, which failed to come out well for his anointed candidate, Olorogun David Edevbie.

    Reconciliation efforts to reunite the Ibori and Okowa factions of the party are still askew but ongoing.

    Meanwhile, it is public knowledge that Omo-Agege is an associate of Chief Ibori who brought him into politics when he was Governor of the State. Given this situation, Omo-Agege is fancying the chances of the former Delta State Governor pulling his weight behind him.

    As a pointer, his Deputy Governorship candidate was recently seen dining and winning with the former Delta State Governor at a location in Lagos State.

    For Delta South, the Delta State House of Assembly Speaker is said to be favoured too. This is especially so, as the people of the two Isoko local government areas there have pledged their backing.

    In the same Delta South, former Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan is marshalling the campaign to pull the block votes of the riverine local governments for Oborevwori.

    Most Deltans who have monitored the political campaigns so far have observed that the campaign trail of Oborevwori has gathered more steam than that of Omo-Agege.

    Recall that the PDP candidate has taken his campaign to all the 270 wards of the party in the State garnering support of party faithful.

    These notwithstanding, political watchers are sounding a warning that the biggest mistake the PDP and its candidate can make is to take Omo-Agege and APC for granted.

    For example, they warn that he can still spring a surprise. They particularly point out the PDP must put into consideration the fact that the Deputy Senate President can pull the proverbial federal might to enhance his chances of prosecuting the election.

    However, with the introduction of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the federal might just be of no effect.

    The BVAS, which has been described as a game changer, is expected to drastically reduce the usual malfeasance associated with elections in Nigeria.

    Also, true is the fact that with this being a general election, the federal might of the administration would be overstretched not to have effects on States elections.

    These are some of the factors that will come into play as Oborevwori and Omo-Agege battle it out in this 2023 governorship election in Delta.

    But at the end of the day, only Deltans will decide who will be their governor, going forward. The only punches expected to be thrown in the 2023 elections are the casting of votes.

     

    Oyibo, the Editor of TheNewsGuru.com (TNG), writes from Abuja.

  • 2023: Join us to end your sufferings – Okowa to Nigerians

    2023: Join us to end your sufferings – Okowa to Nigerians

    Vice-Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Governor of Delta, Sen. (Dr) Ifeanyi Okowa has urged Nigerians to join hands with the party to rescue and rebuild the country from the sufferings created by the inept APC-led Federal Government.

    Okowa who made the call on Wednesday at the party’s campaign at Ughelli North and Isoko South Local Government Areas of the state, said that only the PDP had the right experience to rebuild the nation’s economy and stop the pervasive insecurity across the country.

    He said that the party’s Presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar had the requisite experience and political will to turn things around for the country as he did as Vice-President to President Olusegun Obasanjo when the PDP was first elected in 1999.

    Okowa who led the campaign to the Local Government of the Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege said that some members of the opposition in the state were not pleased with the empowerment of youths and women in the state with relevant skills.

    He urged the people to reject arrogant politicians who brought shame and disgrace to the state and vote for the party candidates who he described as level headed and man of the people.

    According to him, the youths and women of Delta are our great strength, and once i see them i know the matter is finished.

    “I thank all of you who are here present and my greatest thanks goes to the youths and women of Delta state.

    “I am happy with the crowd of people I see here today in Ughelli North. We have been seeing such crowds before but this one is exceptional.

    “I thank my Deputy Governor for his support. Like my Deputy has said, we will follow Sheriff to the church to do thanksgiving of victory come 2023.

    “We do not want a governorship candidate who will bring disgrace to Delta and Deltans and we do not want people who are angry that we are spending monies to empower our youths.

    “We do not want a governor that will be too proud to relate with the people and you know that our candidate Sheriff Oborevwori is a humble man who has immense respect for the people.

    “When Oborevwori becomes Governor he will unite Deltans because we don’t want a governor that will look down on other people,” he said.

    Okowa accused the APC of causing disunity among Nigerians, insecurity, hunger, poverty and economic hardship in the country.

    He called on the people to support the PDP to change the ugly situation caused by the maladministration of the APC.

    “The PDP will work with the people to settle all the problems caused by the APC and change the change to return Nigerians to greater glory.

    “We need to bring PDP back to the center and change the change that has brought untold hardship on the people and because of our performance in Delta state, PDP gave us the ticket of the Vice President. Therefore, we need all your support for victory come 2023,” he added.

    He called on Deltans to mobilise fully for the Presidential Campaign holding in Asaba on January 24.
    Governorship candidate of the party, Chief Sheriff Oborevwori said that Deltans were already preparing ahead for the victory thanksgiving on May 29, 2023.

    He assured that by the grace of God he will win the election and bring his MORE Agenda to bear on the economic fortunes of the state.

    State Chairman of the party, Chief Kingsley Esiso said Ughelli North people had shown commitment to join the mission to rescue and rebuild Nigeria.

    He said that the people by their actions have shown that there was no other political party in Ughelli North, adding that Deltans and Ughelli North in particular were tired of the APC led Federal Government.

    “I want to thank the leaders and followers of PDP in Ughelli North. What we are seeing here today is a pointer that there is no other party in Ughelli North.

    “It shows that the people of Delta and Ughelli North are tired of the APC-led Federal Government. They have taken a bag of rice that was sold for N8,000 naira during the PDP reign to N52,000 as at today,” he said.

    Deputy Governor of the state, Mr Kingsley Otuaro; Director-General of the State Campaign Council, Chief Funkekeme Solomon; Former Governorship aspirant, Chief Fred Majemite, former Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Stella Omu and Chief of Staff to the Governor, Hon. Festus Ovie-Agas who spoke at both rallies assured of the massive support of the people for all candidates of the party.

    At Ughelli, a former Governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress, APC in the state, Chief Osiobe Okotie and over 500 members of the party, defected to the PDP.

    Osiobe Okotie who addressed the mammoth crowd, said he has returned to the PDP to join others to build the party in the Delta, saying; “like the prodigal son, I have returned to my original home, the PDP. I started politics in PDP so am back to my original home.

  • OPINION: Sheriff Oborevwori: To be or not to be? – By Ediri Oyibo

    OPINION: Sheriff Oborevwori: To be or not to be? – By Ediri Oyibo

    By Ediri Oyibo

    The die is cast. Sheriff Oborevwori is the governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2023 gubernatorial election in Delta State. The campaign trail is going around the State, loud and clear.

    Through thick and thin, the Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly emerged the governorship candidate of the PDP, displacing Olorgun David Edevbie, his closest rival in the contest for the PDP ticket, who went all the way to the apex court of the land to contest the candidature of Oborevwori.

    But events have since overtaken the PDP primary and all that followed it has been left behind even though the former aide to the late ex-president Umar Musa Yar’Adua is still fuming. It is believed that former Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan is working on him and his principal, former Governor James Ibori to sheath their swords.

    Nevertheless, the political atmosphere in Delta State has been positively charged by the PDP and Oborevwori is hoping to cruise to victory in the 2023 governorship election. There is no campaign event of the PDP that is not filled to the brim. Every campaign of the party appears designed to send chills and jitters to the spine of the main opposition party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege.

    Most of the opposition seem to have resolved, with the new unity in the PDP and the success of the ward-to-ward campaigns, to soak themselves in political mudslinging, pedestrian inanities, and doctoring of speeches of the PDP gubernatorial candidate.

    The opposition, APC, recently shared photos of former Governor James Ibori with the Deputy gubernatorial candidate of the APC, Mr Friday Osanebi, in apparent move to give their followers the impression that the strongman of Delta PDP is tilting towards supporting the Ovie Omo-Agege governorship ambition. Opponents see this as desperation.

    Deltans, the PDP reacts are far wiser than this as they say the train has since left the station.

    The gubernatorial campaign of the PDP in Delta state has been made even more colourful by various political pressure groups, including some students who aggregate the slogan, More. Even Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, the  Vice Presidential candidate of the party could not help but identify with them. At a recent campaign in Burutu local government by the PDP, Okowa grabbed a yellow flag, an emblem of the More Students to campaign for Oborevwori.

    The PDP in Delta is leaving no stone in selling the candidacy of Oborevwori to Deltans, who has been described as analytical mind, who does not talk with reckless abandon.

    He is a grassroots politician, who has lived his entire life in Delta State and knows what Deltans want at this point in time. He is referred to as a man with excessive street credibility.

    Some Deltans believe that his experience of the executive workings of state machinery under Chief James Ibori, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan, and his present position as the Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, as well as being the National Vice-Chairman of Conference of Speakers of State Houses of Assembly in Nigeria has prepared him for the task ahead.

    Deltans believe that Oborevwori’s MORE Agenda will deliver the dividends of democracy even as the guber candidate. Even the acronym, MORE is symbolic because it recognizes that so much has been done in Delta State, but that there is room for more improvements in every facet of the State.

    As a chieftain of the PDP in Delta, Chief Sunny Onuesoke puts it, Oborevwori’s MORE agenda is structured to ensure smooth and progressive continuity in governance, anchored on Meaningful Development, Opportunity for all Deltans, Realistic Reforms and Enhanced Peace and Security in the State.

    Realistically, however, Oborevwori and his party, the PDP still need to do more, explain to Deltans more, if they are to fend off the gamut of opposition candidates, especially the APC’s Ovie Omo-Agege, who desperately want to put an end to PDP’s sustained reign in the state since 1999.

     

    Oyibo, the Editor of TheNewsGuru.com (TNG), writes from Abuja.

  • Delta 2023: Oborevwori and the People’s Agenda – By Eklizia Eromodeoghene

    Delta 2023: Oborevwori and the People’s Agenda – By Eklizia Eromodeoghene

    By Eklizia Eromodeoghene

    The political landscape in Delta State is already awash with frenzied activities in anticipation of next year’s election which will usher in a new administration. The people who constitute the electorate and the determining factor in choosing who holds what office have already configured their choice and resolved it in favour of one candidate. That candidate is Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, the present Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly and Delta State governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    The emergence of Hon. Oborevwori can be appreciated in two ways which stand as opposites to each other. It was an easy task and it was also not an easy task. The explanation for this contradiction lies in the fact that owing to his pro-people agenda and well known populist credentials, the PDP delegates at the governorship primary election, voted massively for the candidature of Hon. Oborevwori so that the number of votes cast in his favour doubled the entire votes polled by the others aspirants.

    For this, the primary election was easy for him. But, just before and after the primary election, some elements went to court and embarked on media smear campaign to undo the candidacy of Oborevwori, but God saw him through as He answered the prayer of Deltans who not only see Oborevwori as genuinely one of their own, but as their God-sent political servant-leader to lead them further on the path of advancement in the next few years.

    The people of Delta State have come to appreciate Hon. Oborevwori as the only candidate at the moment who is in the race for an altruistic reason which is to serve them and ensure their security and welfare. Evaluating all the other candidates running for the governorship of Delta State, the people only see guile, arrogance, avarice, mad lust for power without due regard or genuine programme of action for the State. Only a mischief-maker will argue that Delta State has not made progress since it was created in 1991 or since the return to democratic rule in 1999.

    Looking at Delta State within the context of Nigeria, there is no doubt that the State ranks among the first three in all parameters of development put together. Despite the antics of naysayers, Delta State is one of the few states that pay workers’ salaries up to date. It is also among the only five states that pay pensioners. Yes, these are true. But what we hear are disgruntled politicians who capitalize on minor incidents or omission in pension payment and sponsor failed protests to score cheap political points.

    Delta State has the highest number of state owned universities in Nigeria. The true story of the monumental advancement Delta State has attained is better left for another day. It is this developmental stride that Hon. Oborevwori wants to take to new levels of consolidation by offering Deltans his well thought out manifesto aptly called MORE.

    The significance of MORE is that Hon. Oborevwori is offering to do more to advance the fortunes of Delta State and her people. The meaning and essence of MORE which is really the people’s agenda are encapsulated in in four cardinal concepts as follows: Meaningful development, Opportunities for all, Realistic reforms and Enhanced peace and security.

    Those who have had cause to evaluate the MORE manifesto have situated it within a combined framework that links the local Nigerian context with a global reality that is driven by the desire to approximate the Sustainable Development Goals come 2030.

    Hon. Oborevwori has pragmatically located the people at the centre of his development vision for Delta State. His MORE agenda begins with Meaningful development which recognizes education, energy, healthcare, physical infrastructure such as roads, transportation, housing and new cities, rural development, urban regeneration, etc, as central to human development.

    Each of the items are analyzed to cater not only for the needs of Deltans, but are given a global touch that is capable of mainstreaming the State and her people into the global arena of socio-economic engagements and development. The programme for energy underscores the sector’s capacity to revive and catalyze the State’s industrial base. In Opportunities for all, the manifesto gives brilliant and workable insights into employment and wealth creation, agricultural productivity, industrialization, ICT, sports and creative enterprise.

    The end result is the massive job opportunities that will eradicate unemployment and open up new vistas of prosperity and social security. The resultant effect will be holistic socio-economic transformation for the overall wellbeing of the people of Delta State.

    Hon. Oborevwori understands the need for Realistic reforms for the manifesto to become actionable. Without such reforms that will reorder the workings of government in tandem with the new realities of an imminent New World Order, no meaning development will materialize and there will be no opportunity for all.

    He envisages the evolution of dynamic policies and programmes that will rev the machinery and oil the wheel of governance. This is why he plans to refocus the work force by regular training and retraining in order for it to be abreast with global best practices. The deployment of ICT with its attendant change impetus remains a major driver of the realistic reforms. Enhanced peace and security is intended to create an enabling environment that will not only guarantee the safety and security of all Deltans, but also make the State attractive to foreign and local investors.

    Delta State has the best potentials as a business cum investors’ destination in Africa. The State is rich in human and natural resources and with an international airport and access to the Atlantic Ocean, it is only waiting to join the flourishing arena of international trade.

    The various components of the MORE agenda are tailored to cater for the welfare and security of the people of Delta State. Besides, Hon. Oborevwori’s rootedness among the people, his training as a political scientist up to postgraduate degree level has exposed him to the nuances of good governance and political economy. His academic orientation has further been consolidated by rigorous trainings in management and political leadership in Ivy League universities.

    His experience in government, which bestrides both executive and legislative arms, has also enriched his perspective on developmental issues. As Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, the entire state is his constituency and as one who listens to his colleagues and carries them along, he knows the developmental aspirations of every part of the State and thus in a good stead to address them. Hon. Oborevwori is the embodiment of the people’s hopes and aspirations. He carries in his mend and message the people’s agenda. His is the people’s agenda anchored on MORE.

    Eklizia Eromodeoghene writes from Patani in Delta State

  • 2023: Oborevwori is far ahead other guber contestants, says PDP

    2023: Oborevwori is far ahead other guber contestants, says PDP

    The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Delta State has said it’s governorship candidate for next year’s election, Sheriff Oborevwori is riding high and above his contenders in the race.

    The party said Oborevwori, with his M.O.R.E. Agenda, is set to deliver to Deltans a state where love, peace, prosperity for all is the principal focus.

    PDP made this known in a press release issued by the Deputy Director, Media and Publicity Committee, PDP Campaign Council, Dr. Ifeanyi Osuoza.

    Osuoza who was reacting to claims by the main opposition party in the state, All Progressive Congress (APC) that the PDP was in crisis, urged Deltans to ignore the APC cycle of lies, illusion and delusion.

    With a wave of the hand, Osuoza dismissed APC’s claims that PDP excos, unit leaders and canvassers had dumped the umbrella party.

    Rather, Osuoza said the reality is that the PDP in Delta State is united, peaceful and working hard collectively across the state to ensure that all its candidates across board win the 2023 elections with convincing votes.

    According to him, the opposition party’s false claims confirmed “the persistent disinformation embarked on by the clueless APC even in the face of strong contradictory evidence, proves the opposition party and those behind the propaganda as possessing symptom of a psychiatric condition.

    “It’s inconceivable that anyone, will against all caution imposed by the ambiance of peace and calm that pervades the PDP across Delta State prefer to live in delusion by claiming and wanting the good and right-thinking people of the state to believe the deception that ‘Peoples Democratic Party in Delta State has been thrown into further crisis as party executives, unit leaders, party canvassers.’”

    Urging Deltans to ignore the APC lies and figment of its imagination, the PDP said there is “no iota of truth in the APC story, but propaganda with the intention to trick the unwary to believe something that does not correspond with the known and observable fact.

    “The observable fact is that PDP in Delta State is united; it is in peace and working hard collectively across the state to ensure that all its candidates across board win the 2023 elections with massive votes.

    “The party that has just concluded the arduous runs when its campaign trains cruised through all the wards in the state, selling its candidates and evangelizing for the people’s votes in an atmosphere that was devoid of rancour cannot be the same party that APC wants people to believe is a party in crisis.

    “Indeed, all the party leaders, chieftains, followers, and supporters received the campaign train with fanfare, turning the ward campaigns into carnivals even as the candidates were introduced to the people on each occasion. Besides, many former members of the APC dumped the party, made bonfires of the broom, the party’s symbol, and were received into the PDP.

    “At the PDP ward campaigns, APC was exposed and likened to the ‘expired bad drug’ that Nigerians must avoid like the leper. It has even been said severally that those who will vote for APC will define the number of mad people in Nigeria. Is it the party with this type of profile and perception that Deltans want to go with?

    “It is no news, therefore, that APC is Nigeria’s Achilles heel, and has been rejected.

    “In Delta State, our governorship candidate, Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori is riding high, and with his M.O.R.E. agenda, he is set to deliver to Deltans a State where love, peace, prosperity for all is the principal focus.

    “PDP therefore, calls on Deltans to ignore the APC cycle of lies, illusion, and delusion.”

  • Sheriffication up close and personal

    Sheriffication up close and personal

    By Paul Odili

    I saw Sheriffication first hand at Oha, ward 3 and Merije, ward 7 in Okpe LGA. Impressive is the word: crowded, very colorful-the yellow color of the Sheriff campaign organization mixed with other colors provides a beautiful optics.

    The campaign grounds were fully animated, and very well organized carnival like events. The enthusiasm, affection and connection to the people with Rt. Sheriff Oborevwori, the PDP Governorship candidate and other candidates is rapturous.

    There was ample supply of musical and cultural entertainment and steady flow of refreshment. People feel taken care of under sweltering heat and scorching sun.

    ‘Sheriff’ is at home in the campaign trail. He has the nous of campaigning. He knows the right button to press to arouse the crowd. He understands the common touch. He did this with humour, while landing verbal blows on his opponents.

    Before I forget, the organized and discipline entrance of the candidates was choreographed in a way that gave each of them the opportunity to work the crowd and endear themselves. They had this campaigning buttoned down.

    Truth is Rt. Hon. Oborevwori is leading a campaign organization that knows how to organize and how to campaign. Is this an indication of how his thinking works? Are we seeing signs of a Governor, who would run an organized and disciplined government? Every Deltan will wish this for the state and it will certainly help the ‘Sheriff brand’ if he sustains even improve this order, across and well into his administration.
    Paul Odili is a chieftain of Delta PDP

  • Delta 2023 and the case for Oborevwori – By Festus Okubor

    Delta 2023 and the case for Oborevwori – By Festus Okubor

    By Dr Festus G. Okubor

    All through the ages, great leaders, who impacted their generations and times rose from among the people and suffered as they emerged from nothingness to become something. The examples of Winston Churchill of Great Britain, Abraham Lincoln of America, Nnamdi Azikiwe of Nigeria, Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, Obafemi Awolowo of Nigeria, just to mention a few remind us that life for great leaders was never a walk in a beautiful park. A more recent and contemporary example has been Barack Obama. These leaders have certain things in common. One of which is found in their humble background and beginning.

    Another one is that they were clear-sighted and pursued their passion with courage and commitment to the astonishment of those who never gave them a chance. Reading the biographies or memoirs of these men who now occupy looming spaces in the memory or affairs of humanity only tells us that greatness is not always in the circumstances of our birth. The story of our Lord Jesus Christ, whose birth we are about to celebrate this season, also has the same experience. He was born in a manger, marked for destruction, was despised and eventually crucified, but he emerged as the ultimate savior of humanity.

    When Rt. Honourable Sheriff Oborevwori, the present Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, stepped out to indicate interest in becoming the Governor of Delta State, some people laughed him off and called him names. It was not that the astute lawmaker and grassroots mobilizer was not constitutionally qualified. Those who ridiculed him did so pointing to his humble background and the reality of him growing up in such places that were not fancied by the rich and newly rich. Those making jest of him referred to his early struggles to make it in life instead of commending his courage, focus and doggedness. Sheriff as Rt. Hon. Oborevwori is widely known and fondly called came from a humble background and worked hard at odd and menial jobs to make ends meet. He never allowed his background to become a deterrent in his sojourn in life. He started from the very beginning with no helper except God. Like every child of his time and place Sheriff went to primary and secondary schools and earned a pride of place among his peers. He knew the streets, became streetwise and enjoyed massive street credibility. He soon became the champion of boys and symbol of their defence.

    Despite his underprivileged condition and becoming the champion of the downtrodden, Sheriff was never in defiance of the status quo. What he did was to get education and join politics and began his advocacy for a better life for the common people who populate the streets. This stance of his earned him post after post in the executive arm of government and the ordinary people on the street who constitute the bulk of humanity saw his genuineness and acclaimed him as truly one of their own. They saw him as the advocate of the youths and the masses. This same people came together in 2014 with a message that Sheriff should run for the Okpe House of Assembly seat and have a chance to truly and fully represent them in the legislative arm. He listened to their call and his victory at the polls in 2015 was overwhelming and unprecedented. That was the beginning of the mystique or icon called Sheriff that has today become an idea known as Sherification.

    Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori is now the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Delta State. His emergence as the party’s governorship flag-bearer is the product of his populist inclination arising from the people’s endorsement of his intention to become governor. His victory at the primary election was overwhelming due to the people’s position that he was their choice. There were litigations to stop his candidacy after winning the primary election. But the dictum of vox populi vox dei (the voice of the people is the voice of God) prevailed and he won in the law courts up to the Supreme Court. The people’s voice and the hand of God are at work in the Oborevwori governorship project.

    The intimidating and massive endorsement he has received gave birth to the idea of Sherification which is used to describe the act of signing up for the candidacy of Sheriff Oborevwori for governor. Those who are in the Sherification movement in their millions are said to be sherified. The ongoing Sherification of Delta State is a people’s movement to ensure the emergence of one of their own as the Governor of Delta State. The youths have come to see him as a symbol of “can do spirit” which is the needed boost for success in life. The old see in him a symbol and strength that they possessed, but did not deploy. His street wisdom and credibility has endeared him to all. He is also a listener and the most accessible political leader in Delta State.

    Sheriff knows the place of education in a society such as ours and he was humble and determined enough to study up to postgraduate level. He studied political science which is what he now practices. His advantage is threefold. He is a practical politician with experience in both legislative and executive arms. He studied political science and is therefore at home with the theory of politics. Then he has the backing of the people which is what matters the most. He has the privilege of being the longest serving Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly. He is also the Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Conference of Speakers of States’ Houses of Assembly. He is truly more than well-grounded in politics.

    Sheriff coming from among the people knows their plight and what should be done to take them out of poverty and make them live well. That is why he has offered a manifesto he called MORE which means Meaningful development, Opportunities for all, Realistic reforms and Enhanced peace and security. Oborevwori has been able to capture the totality of what will make life better for the people of Delta State and the people are in turn making a case for him to become their governor in 2023.

  • 2023: I’ll do what will directly impact lives of Deltans – Oborevwori assures

    2023: I’ll do what will directly impact lives of Deltans – Oborevwori assures

    Candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2023 governorship election in Delta State, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori has assured that he will do what will directly impact the lives of Deltans if elected governor of the State.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Rt. Hon. Oborevwori, who is the incumbent Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly gave the assurance on Saturday while playing host to the immediate past governor of the State, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan.

    “My M.O.R.E Agenda is my social contract with Deltans. Amongst all the candidates, I am the one that is in tune with ordinary people. I don’t believe in talking too much but I will do what will directly impact the lives of the people. I am a Warri man to the core. I live amongst ordinary people and so I know their pains very well. I want to be a servant leader,” Oborevwori said.

    TNG reports the PDP guber candidate received former governor Uduaghan who visited him to squash rumour making the rounds that he [Uduaghan] and his leader, former Governor Chief James Ibori are quarrelling over his latest show of solidarity for Oborevwori.

    Expressing thanks Uduaghan for his support, Oborevwori said: “Your Excellency, your name has been trending in the media because of your recent decision.

    “Another move that struck my heart was when you went to your LGA and Ward to campaign 5/5 for us. This is very dear to me. I am happy that you’re campaigning for your brother Sen. Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa.

    “I am not the most qualified but I believe it is the will of God. My life’s story is like that of David in the Bible. I appreciate you for believing in our 5/5 and also reaching out to people to ensure that the party puts up a united front ahead of the elections.

    “I am a man with excessive local content. That was one of the reasons you appointed me Special Adviser in your administration. I have said this severally but let me say it before you sir.

    “Raising the hand of someone who contested against your daughter is very moving to me. You have shown us that we should not sacrifice the general interest of the party for personal interest. You will be remembered by history for a long long time”.