GOING, GOING…GONE; AS OGBORU LOSES HIS POWERFUL CAMPAIGN DG AND SUPPORTERS TO OKOWA IN UGHELLI NORTH

Fejiro Oliver

As the Senator Ifeanyi Okowa hurricane campaign team left Asaba to Ethiope East, the unarguable home of the opposition where Great Ovedje Ogboru, Labor Party (LP) candidate hails from, the canon shots that went up signify that he was welcome home despite being a rival zone.

Invited to the podium to deliver his campaign speech at 11:34 am (Nigerian Time), Okowa danced there holding his wife and picked up the microphone to pick. He pleaded with the numerous supporters’ not to be disunited because of election as there is always life after every politicking. He appealed to them to see him as one of their own who will bring better development to Ethiope East. Better than the opposition candidate as persons who has no political direction, but bring in strange parties every election year.

“My word is my bond; I have spoken to you. Stand by me and together we will work together to build a greater Delta”, he stated.

The campaign train left to another opposition domain, Ughelli North, but like Ethiope East, the crowd came out to receive Okowa. With the overwhelming sea of head that flooded the Ughelli Mini Stadium, it was obvious that they had passed a statement of clear support to the PDP guber hopeful.

The venue saw the Ogboru campaign team torn into shred as his onetime general and strong political ally, Coach Paul Obire who had been his two time Campaign Director General (DG) shocked the audience when he announced his defection from Ogboru into Okowa. The bewildered crowd listened to Obire who had also been a DG to Ede Dafinone during his Senatorial ambition, as he joined the PDP alongside with his over one thousand, two hundred renaissance group said,  “For over sixteen years, we have been in the wilderness and fighting PDP, but it was fruitless. Under the watch of Okowa, Delta will move to a new level”.

Another defector form the All Progressive Congress (APC), Efe who wanted to contest for the Ughelli Federal Constituency led his people to join forces with Okowa. According to him, him and radical human rights lawyer, Festus Keyamo brought in the APC to Delta State and he has decided to close the party in the state. He revealed that the party secretariat which he gave to them has also been retrieved from the APC and given to the PDP.

The mammoth crowd went frenzy as Okowa walked to the stage, dancing to a traditional Urhobo song. Speaking to the electorates at about 3:04 pm, he began his usual manner of singing to God, this time in pidgin ‘Jesus na Elele’. Okowa stated that with the people he saw welcoming him to Ughelli North; he knows that the election has been won.

He promised to “turn Agbarho around” and make the people feel the effect of real development. He pledged to give important positions in government to Ughelli people because “Ughelli is a special place”

“By the time we start to give appointment, Ughelli North will be happy with us”. He told the teeming crowd of his resolve to rule a State and not a tribe, asking them to shun division in the State but to see everyone as one Deltan. He stated that if elected, he will lead with fairness, justice and equity.