Those who vote decide nothing; those who count the votes decide everything – Josef Vissarionovich Stalin, USSR dictator (18 December, 1878 – 5 March, 1953). Stalin made this statement decades ago, but that quote still remains relevant; not only in respect of the ongoing 2023 general elections but with every elections we have ever had.
The declaration of Tinubu as president-elect by INEC dd not only dampen the morale of his opponents , the trepidation, intrigues, scheming and unusual uncertainties, will continue to dominate national discourse. For one, this is their best-ever effort, best-ever opportunity to snatch the prize for very obvious reasons. Who occupies Aso Rock?, the seat of power in Nigeria. Senator Dr lfeanyi Okowa will vacate office on May 2023, as expected, another governor will take over the affairs of the state. As the economists would say, ceteris paribus, other things being equal; The political gladiators in both the PDP, APC and other parties are leaving no one in doubt on struggle of winning the coveted prize. The transition trajectory will basically be responsible for all the hues and cries of the next governor of Delta state.
In preparation for the 2023 elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has formally listed the Speaker of Delta State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Francis Oborevwori, as governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and Senator Ovie Omo-Agege as gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC. INEC in the final list of candidates also confirmed Mr. Monday Onyeme as Oborevwori’s running mate and Mr Friday Osanebi as running mate to Senator Ovie Omo-Agege.
Other contenders who made the commission’s list include former Minister of State for Education, Kenneth Gbagi of the Social Democratic Party, SDP; Agbi Goodman of New Nigeria People’s Party, NNPP; Mr. Ogba Samuel of African Democratic Party, ADP; Mr. Ekure Shedrack of African Democratic Congress, ADC; Mr. Gwede Jerkins Giane of Action Alliance and Mr. America Emmanuel of National Rescue Movement, NRM. Others include Great Ogboru of All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA.
Among all of these gladiators it would appear that the race is clearly between Sheriff Oborevwori of the PDP and Ovie Omo-Agege of the APC.
As stated earlier, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Francis Oborevwori is the current speaker of the Delta state house of assembly while Obarisi Ovie Omo-Agege is a Senator of the Delta central senatorial district in Nigeria.
While the emergence of Ovie Omo-Agege as the candidate for the APC has been devoid of any visible intra party rancour, the same cannot be said for Sheriff Oborevwori of the PDP. David Edevbie, a former Commissioner of Finance in the state was locked in a battle with Sherrif Oborevwori, over PDP’s governorship ticket.
However the Nigerian Supreme Court eventually affirmed Rt. Hon. Sheriff Francis Oborevwori as the governorship candidate of the PDP in the state’s 2023 election.
Senator Ovie Omo-Agege of the APC attended the University of Benin, Benin City where he obtained a degree in law in 1985. He furthered his education and graduated with a Master of Law from the Tualane University Law school in New Orleans in the USA. Omo-Agege is originally from Orogun, Ughelli North Local government area of Delta state.
He began his adult life in Lagos where he cut his teeth in law practice by working with Pat Okupa & Co. In 1989, he established Agege & Co, which specialised in commercial litigation and corporate banking. In 1990, Omo-Agege relocated to Los Angeles, California where he continued his law practice. He eventually relocated back to Nigeria in 1992 and continued his law practice until he started out in politics in 1999 by contesting for the ticket to represent Delta State at the Federal House of Representatives under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party.
Ovie Omo-Agege whose loss to Emmanuel Uduaghan in the primaries of 2007 seemed to have made him to lose faith in the PDP, threw his hat into the ring and once again ran against Emmanuel Uduaghan in the Delta rerun under a different Political party. He and fourteen other candidates ran against the incumbent in that rerun which was again won by Emmanuel Uduaghan.
Undaunted by the losses to Uduaghan in the gubernatorial runs, Ovie Omo-Agege restrategized and decided to run for the senate in 2015 on the platform of the Labour Party. He was elected as a senator representing Delta central senatorial district on 28 March 2015.
He defected from the Labour Party to All Progressive Congress (APC) on 7th March 2017 and ran again for the senate on that platform in the 2019 elections. He was re-elected as the senator representing Delta Central in 2019 general elections. On 11 June 2019, he emerged as the new Deputy Senate President of the 9th National Assembly with 68 votes cast to beat Senator Ike Ekweremadu with 37 votes. The South-South caucus of the APC, on Thursday 28 November 2019 chose the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, as the leader of the party in the region. Ovie Omo-Agege is the son of renowned Chief Judge of Delta State, His Lordship, Honourable Justice James Omo-Agege who handled the celebrated Lawrence Anini case as a judge in the defunct Bendel State.
Rt. Hon Sheriff Francis Oborevwori: …Poised for Greater Service
The incoming local content governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Francis Oborevwori of the PDP, has assured his teeming supporters of his capacity to provide a meaningful and purposeful leadership, if given the mandate in the fort coming governorship elections.
While many political observers believe he is the real DEAL, others see a Pan Delta Project, whose sterling leadership qualities, and track records, in the political milieu spans more than two decades.
Born on June 19th 1963, to the family of Chief Samuel Oborevwori of Osubi in Okpe Local Government Area of Delta State, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Francis Orohwedor Oborevwori studied Political Science at the Ambross Ali University, Ekpoma in 2004 and later had his M.SC. in Political Science from the Delta State University, Abraka in 2010.
His outstanding persona has not only earned him many feathers in the private and political spheres, he has also brought an usual dynamism to the Okowa led administration. His political career spans the executive and legislative arms of both local and state governments, which puts him in good stead for the plumb job.
He code named his manifesto “MORE AGENDA”. This well thought out manifesto implies that Deltans should expect the following under his leadership:
* Meaningful development
* Opportunities for all
* Realistic reforms
* Enhanced peace and security.
Rt. Hon. Sheriff Francis Oborevwori represents continuity and change. He is a familiar face with fresh vision, and a bridge between the old and the new. Hence he will be extending the frontiers of human capital development, job creation, health reforms, infra-structural renewal, and many others if elected governor of the oil rich state.
# Councilor/Supervisory Councilor for works in1996 under the old Okpe Local Government Area, which included the present Udu and Uvwie Local Government Areas.
# Special Assistant on Youth Development to Governor James Ibori (2003-2006)
# Special Adviser on Land Security to Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan (2007-2010)
# State Coordinator for the Amnesty programme (2009-2010)
# Senior Special Assistant on Security to the Governor (2012-2014)
# Member representing Okpe State Constituency in the Delta State House of Assembly (2015-2019)
# Speaker 6th Assembly of the Delta State House of Assembly (2017-2019)
# Re-elected as Speaker in the 7th Assembly in 2019 becoming the first Deltan to serve as Speaker from one Assembly to another Assembly
# Treasurer Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria (2018-2020)
# Deputy Chairman of the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria (2020-date)
In his quest for more knowledge, capacity building and self development, he attended various courses and obtained the following certificates from various institutions as well as membership of reputable organizations.
# Certificate in top Executive
leadership Progrmame, Manchester
Business School, UK.
# Certificate in legislative framework
for Budget Management, Geogia
Institute of Technology, Atlanta, USA.
#Certificate in legislative
Management and Leadership,
International Law Institute,
Washington DC, USA
# Certificate in Leading Inclusive
Development, London School of
Economics and Political Science, UK
# Certificate in Advanced Leadership
