The Delta State governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Ovie Omo-Agege has said that his government would not seek vendetta against Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and the governing Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) when elected to office in 2023.
In Patani, which is the first stop of his campaign train to Delta South senatorial district on Thursday, Omo-Agege, who is also the Deputy Senate President, said that although it is evident that there is nothing on ground to justify the over N3.5 trillion receipts that had flowed into the state accounts in the past seven and half years, he would not be distracted by looking back.
He said that he would instead push forward to the task ahead and ensure that the developmental gaps created by the Okowa-led PDP were filled for the state to move forward.
The campaign also touched down at Agoloma and Uduophori communities all in Patani local government area.
Omo-Agege lamented the poor infrastructural conditions in Patani which he said have remained the same, 24 years after Raymos Guanah made his mark as the council Chairman.
He said that the huge allocations that had been received by Okowa since 2015 on behalf of the local government area from the Federation accounts, 13 percent oil derivation, 50 percent of 13 percent of oil derivation had all been misappropriated.
In the face of allegations that Okowa has interests in a newly licensed bank, Omo-Agege charged the governor to hand over the N235 billion recently paid to the state as 13 percent derivation arrears, and not salt it away in the bank, in the event that the allegations were true.
“My government will not seek vendetta against Governor Okowa and his PDP. We will not be distracted by looking back at their misgovernance but will hit the ground running to develop Delta State. He should however, hand over the balance of N235 billion with him”.
The APC governorship candidate said that the riverine communities contribute so much to the economy of Nigeria and Delta State but there was nothing on ground to show, noting that Okowa’s ‘prosperity for all’ mantra was a sham.
“Look at the Ijaw nation, there is not one tetiary institution. Not even when Okowa established three universities in one day without the input of the Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, who is also a victim of Okowa’s selfishness.
“In continuation of his selfishness and desire to perpetually impoverish citizens of Delta State, Governor Okowa has projected the Speaker, Oborevwori, as his decoy for a third term. We are here to urge the Ijaw people to reject Okowa’s third term bid and his surrogate, Sheriff Oborevwori”, Omo-Agege said.
He promised economic emancipation for women and youths of Ijaw nation, and to expand frontiers of growth and development when elected governor of the state.
APC chairman in the local government area, Mr Julius Oruma described Omo-Agege as a God-sent to deliver the people of Patani and the entire Ijawland from PDP imposed poverty and hardship, and for this reason, the people of Patani have resolved to cast their votes for APC “because the PDP government does not care about us”.
APC chieftain in Patani, Dr Chris Ekiyor warned his kinsmen that, if they do not push the PDP away with their votes, “your children will serve their children, but I see a people with the radical capacity to do the needful”.
Omo-Agege had earlier visited the Pere of Kabowei kingdom, HRH (Barrister) Shedrach Erebulu Aduo III, who gave blessings for his governorship bid, and to carry on with his campaign in the kingdom.