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Ovie Omo-Agege addressed the crowd at the recent APC rally in Delta State.
Ovie Omo-Agege with APC supporters.
Ovie Omo-Agege addressed the crowd at the recent APC rally in Delta State.
Many defections have hit the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Delta state, while the campaign of the All Progressives Congress (APC) reached critical strongholds of the ruling party in the oil-rich state.
During the week, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa’s former commissioner for urban renewal, Dr. Faith Majemite, the second chairman of Ethiopian East LGA, has dumped PDP for APC.
Speaking yesterday, during the APC ward-to-ward campaign in Uzere, the home town of Okowa strongman, Askia Ogieh, Ilolo said: “The PDP umbrella is torn. We are very committed to the cause of APC, and we will win”
Askia is the Managing Director of the Delta Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC), which is believed to be the governor of Governor Okowa’s financial war for the 2023 election.
Also in Uzere, Majemite dismissed the PDP as a party of “thieves”. He said that in seven and a half years, the PDP, under Governor Okowa, has received N4.2 trillion, but the country is still underdeveloped and poor.
“They are all thieves. If PDP comes to campaign, ask, where is our money? Until he answers your question, don’t listen,” he said.
Goodluck Obrogor, the brother of Askia, was the cynosure of all eyes, when he led 177 defectors to denounce the PDP and pledge allegiance to the APC.
In his defection speech, Obrogor said the people of Uzere are in the throes of oppression and intimidation and asked the Vice President of the Senate, and Delta State governor candidate APC, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, to help them.
“Obarisi, please see this place as your own home and come and free us from the shackles of slavery that the PDP has imposed on us,” he said, referring to Omo-Agege.
Others who decamped were James Miller, former personal assistant to the majority leader of the Delta State House of Assembly; Olotu Ode, youth leader of Uzere community; Fred Uye, Edafe Agbaka, and other members of the Uzere youth movement.
Others include Okpokoro Precious, Azinoh Urieh, Adaka Frank, Ewomazino Ojabekie, Obi Endurance, Endurance Oluku and Ezekiel Urete.
James Igbi, former Deputy governor candidate of ADC, led a cross section of party leaders and elders in Uzere to decamp to APC.
In Aviara, former members of PDP led by Ureghe John-Mark, executive member of Aviara ward, tore up their PDP cards and also decamped to APC.
Speaking, John-Mark said that Aviara has been used and discarded, and that he is fed up with PDP and has decided to pitch his tent with APC.
Reacting to the gale of defections, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege said by the sincere decision of former leaders and supporters of the PDP to dump the party and embrace the APC, Bahorun Askia and Okowa have passed the punishment on themselves.
“They need to know that the time of political intimidation is over. They know me and I know them. I can’t be intimidated.”
He lamented that Uzere, the second place after Oloibiri where oil is found in Nigeria still looks decrepit after over N4.3 trillion oil revenue generated from Uzere and oil producing communities in the Delta, accrued to the country.
“Is this Uzere, an oil producing community? Are you offending Okowa? How did Askia feel comfortable making Uzere people Refugees during floods? With resources from Uzere you shouldn’t have problems with floods. Instead of Askia using his office to help his people, he chose scary
“Uzere does not look like an oil producing Community. By the grace of God, when I become governor, I will consult with prominent indigenes to ask what the incoming government should do for Uzere.
In Aviara, he told people that Okowa is lying to himself, but he will not be the vice president. The next President, he said, will be Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and our Vice President will be Senator Kassim Shettima, both from the APC.
He urged Aviara people to come out on election day, see PDP and Okowa and vote for all APC candidates. He assured supporters of adequate security on election day, and urged them not to fear intimidation by the opposition.
At the palace of the traditional ruler of Aviara, HRH, Efadue Imo, Ebobo 1, Ovie of Aviara, he assured that the community of Aviara has been fully connected to the national network. He also promised to consult with traditional authorities to solve other challenges from the community.
The defectors were welcomed by the Delta State APC Chairman, Elder Omeni Sobotie, who described Chief Askia Ogieh’s sister as the biblical Jacobian twins who have seen the light and prayed that Uzere would never experience leadership and darkness again.