THERE comes a time when as a people you seek self-examination, take stock and make a decision to either move forward in a different direction or falter to face disintegration, as a person, family, community or nation, it is necessary if we must renew to face disintegration or the future. A society without reflection and projection is doomed, a leader takes decisions because failure or indecision to do nothing is putting his leadership and numerous followers in danger, under Gen. Gowon as head of state, immediately after the Nigerian civil war, Gowon came up with a healing balm considering the traumatic and devastating effect of the Nigerian civil war on both sides of the divide, under Gen. Gowon he came up with a three point agenda ‘Rehabilitation, Reconstruction and Reintegration’ under Gen. Murtala Mohammed it was the need to fight corruption in public office and a lot of public officers were victims. Obasanjo was an offshoot of the Murtala Mohammed administration.
President Shehu Shagari came up with “Green Revolution”, Gen Mohammadu Buhari own was “war against corruption” and under Gen Ibrahim Babangida it was “Structural Adjustment Programme(SAP)”, we may go on and on but under President Tinubu its “Renewed Hope” and stopped the subsidy palaver saddled with corruption and economic drainage. In every regime a good leader as a doctor who seeks good health for his people must recommend a pill of survival and that’s what Gov. Oborevwori and his predecessor Dr. Okowa did when they with the entire structure of the PDP in Delta State moved enmass into the APC. There is no doubt that since the last general election in 2023, the PDP has been sick at the national level, factionalized and its national leadership become robots in the hands of external factors. Ward, local government and state congresses had been conducted yet the national convention kept on shifting without a firm date, for obvious external factors.
The PDP governors are not in control as the national executive have become so powerful and deaf to any suggestions on how to revive the party, the plea for realignment or merging to have a stronger party rejected, the suggestion on merger was rejected despite the weak position of the affairs of the party, again the affairs of the party was not based on Democracy but rather “the voice is Jacob and the hands are Esau”, any suggestion on how to revive the party not only fell on deaf ears but became a deliberate process to political Golgotha. With these uncertainties, two years had gone, remaining less than two years to prepare for elections and also have a functional party leadership, however these two goals are becoming a fantasy, a mirage, mere dream never to be attained, another issue is the position of the secretary of the party which the Supreme Court had given judgment. With those and other factors, Gov. Oborevwori and his predecessor saw the hand writing on the wall, of a deliberate process to not only destroy the party but also have the political ambition of all those seeking election under it as candidates truncated.
There may be litigations and losers may become eventual winners, while winners become losers through Judicial pronouncements, with each day as the clock ticks, the sword of Damocles dangles politically on the state, a state of dilemma came over love for the PDP, then reality dawned and the ship of politics started steering towards the wharf away from the political storms that threatened its stability, the people from the ward, units and local governments are unanimous in the believe that the principle of rotational Presidency must be upheld and secondly President Tinubu must complete his second term as President, as did all other Northern Presidents since the rotation began and thirdly in a loud ovation, the people urged the Governor of the State, considering his accomplishments and acceptability by Deltans to immediately decamp from the PDP into the APC, to secure his second term since the uncertainties within PDP may consume the bid for a second term. It was not the sole decision of Gov. Oborevwori or his predecessor but a collective decision of the people which is building on the entire political structure because no politician survives politically without the people and Gov. Oborevwori and Okowa are no exceptions.
The meeting at government House Asaba on March 2025 was just a seal on what the people had collectively decided, it was like Gov. Oborevwori and Okowa bowing to the superior decision of Deltans, the entire PDP structure in the State and other stakeholders who have foretold and saw the PDP sinking ship, had to take a decision to either sink with the PDP or save their political lives and continue relevance and jump ship into a more stable vibrant ship to continue to sail to safety politically. It was “VOX DEI, VOX
OPULI.” The capacity to see the impending doom and the sensibility to avoid such a calamity is the hallmark of leadership and that was what set Gov. Oborevwori and his predecessor, Okowa apart. It is better to jump ship than to sink with a ship and in the process loose one’s life, political relevance and be consigned into oblivion. The partnership, synergy and understanding between Gov. Oborevwori and Okowa is working and need to be encouraged because it’s for the good of the state and for a greater good of the people who will be the beneficiaries.
Demo-kratia from which the word Democracy is derived, is a Greek word, is all about the people, what they want, their desires, aspirations, hopes and expectations, the two years of Gov. Oborevwori is both historic and purposeful, it is about all the social class of the people, the rich and wealthy have their investments secured, the middle class and the poor have security and have quantum opportunity to grow and excel, all are secured because the rule of law is upheld, Gov. Oborevwori consultation is ongoing, he reaches out to the wealthy and powerful in the state but do not neglect the poor masses as he also give a listening ear to them, this is because the Governor understands no matter ones status, it is “One man, One vote” during elections and no matter ones status, everyone can be an influence during elections in influencing votes for one candidate or the other, so Democracy is the only platform for equality unlike oligarchy, monarchy, communism, socialism, dictatorship and other forms of government.
Democracy gives same power to the rich and wealthy as it gives the middle class and plebeians, it allows voices to be heard unlike others.
Delta State is at its best element under Gov. Oborevwori and we are fortunate that he and his predecessor are at same page in the State, this contributes to unity and political stability politically. The defection on April, Monday 28, 2025 that attracted the Vice President, Governors, National chairman of APC, legislators, party leaders across the states was an iceberg on the cake, the Asaba cenotaph was filled that the sea of heads could not contain people, that its adjourning environment was occupied, who and who in the state were present and this is a clear fact that it was the peoples’ decision and not Gov. Oborevwori or Okowa decision, the political Tsunami, the desire and urge swept everyone out of the PDP into the APC, including the Governor and his cabinet and all political appointees, former office holders and party leaders. It was an expression of hope renewed and fulfilled, the sea of heads was about hope renewed and hope accomplished, Deltans saw the uncommon transformation under Gov. Oborevwori, across the state, the accomplishments with the past two years is visible, villages, towns, cities and hamlets are being transformed, developments in roads and drainages construction are ongoing and the state has become a construction site like Abuja, there is stability and insecurity kept in-checked, there is inter communal communications and dialogue, youths are being harvested into purposeful pursuits, the health sector is functional and giving great attention to the old, weak and children, the state public hospitals are working with medical and non-medical team showing dedication.
Gov. Oborevwori has found a way to live in the hearts of ordinary Deltans, the Governor is ethnic and tribal blind, he belongs to non but for everyone and this elixir fuels devotion and dedication. The defection to the APC was necessary and immediately after each local government began to meet, the Chief of staff to his Excellency, Hon. Johnson Erijo hosted meeting of Isoko South in his palatial residence Aviara, he educated all on the need for the new journey in APC, he gave a detailed analysis and from the local government Chairman to party leaders, political appointees and other stakeholders, it was a full house in agreement, the Chief of staff provided enough entertainment of spice up the occasion. He gave directive for all the wards in various communities to meet prior to the Monday April 28, 2025 decamping at the Asaba cenotaph. There was no doubt that from the various ward meetings there was a united agreement of a new beginning under the APC as a household. The need to anchor Gov. Oborevwori progressive government with President Tinubu Renewed Hope Administration became necessary, Delta needs expansion and good collaboration with the federal government in achieving desired results, there was no doubt that the recent political development was necessary if we must attain our goals as a state.
The PDP as a political party was massive and great, it was able to find its foot for twenty eight years not because of anything but the people, it was the people that made it a structure, now that the same people have left it because of ill health, its importance diminished and it has become an empty shell without life or features, the new structure of the people now called APC bubbles with life and expectations and this is the reality of today considering the good work Gov. Oborevwori is doing, the governor needs our support and encouragement because this is necessary in Democracy, we the people must remain the watch dog of Democracy, we must be vigilant in order to compliment the good things he is doing across the state. We should also encourage good monitoring of ongoing projects to meet with standards and specification of the Governor, in furtherance for zero tolerance for substandard jobs. We should also protect the projects in our various communities and vicinity because these projects when preserved are for the good of the people and when protected they safe government important funds necessary for other projects.
Delta state formerly a PDP state but presently an APC state, it’s a new dawn, it’s a new horizon and reality, what is more important is continuing in the same page of progress because whether one name is changed is not the issue, what is paramount is the personality, our personality as a state and as a people remain same, our dreams and desire for Democracy remain the same and it is this same enthusiasm, vision, determination and zeal for progress for our people and the state that had been the foundation since 1999 that Democracy took root that we have invented into the APC in 2025, it’s a change of name but not a change in identity and personality, behind the drive for success that is Delta State. I must commend the quick understating of the Governor and his team in reading between the lines, I must commend the entire political structure in the state for showing undiluted understanding of the dilemma we face politically and I must commend Deltans without whose support we would not have attained the heights achieved, Governor Oborevwori counts on the people even in this new venture and commend them because he understands without the understanding and support of the people we can do nothing.
