2023 Guber: Gbagi is First to Formally Declare Intention to Contest

Omon-Julius Onabu in Asaba

As political activities toward the 2023 election in the country gather momentum, renowned businessman and frontline Education Minister, Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi, has said that Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Delta State had an onerous task in choosing its gubernatorial flag bearer at the election.

Gbagi on Wednesday was received in an audience by state PDP leadership in Asaba, where he formally declared his intention to run for the governorship ticket of the party in 2023.

The lawyer and criminologist, who had a large retinue of supporters including community and youth leaders from across the state, was received officially by the members of the Delta State Executive Council of the PDP led by its Chairman, Chief Kingsley Esiso amid cultural dance rendition by a royal troupe from Agbara Kingdom.

The former Education Minister stressed that as a party on a rescue mission in Nigeria today, the choice of who the PDP puts forward was very critical to the survival, prosperity and progress of Delta State beyond the present administration of Governor Okowa.

Gbagi, who asserted that the state could not afford a governor who could only survive at mercy of the state treasury, pleaded with the state party leaders to grant him an equitable platform to express and sell himself to Deltans about his plans, capability and readiness to serve.

Gbagi noted that he was one of the most loyal founding members of the PDP in the state since 1998/99, saying that he has remained in the party because of his “belief that you do destroy the house you helped to build.”

He said that Okowa has already created a catalogue of visible achievements in the critical sectors, particularly in the area of roads and other basic infrastructure, adding that he was offering to serve as successor to Okowa because he has the capacity and clear vision to elevate Delta State to another level by building on the achievements of the incumbent.

Gbagi said that although he was yet to commence a real campaign, he was burning with desire to see the economy of the state grow appreciably such that the present internally generated revenue will be insignificant when Delta becomes industrialised under his leadership.

He warned that the PDP as the predominant party in the state should not make the mistake Nigerians made in 2015 by allowing in President Muhammadu Buhari, who he alleged lacked capacity with the All Progressives Party (APC) that had no concrete vision to rule over the country.

He urged the party leaders to learn one or two lessons from the just-concluded governorship election in Anambra State, saying that “the people of the Anambra State rejected money and settled for a man with capacity.”

Gbagi said, “I’m not here to campaign; I just want to inform you that I will contest the governorship election in 2023. All I ask you, my party leaders and other members of the party is equity. I have what it takes to be a governor that all Deltans can be truly proud of.”

“We cannot afford to make the mistake that Nigerians made in voting the APC. The Party (PDP) cannot bring a governor in the mould of (President) Buhari in Delta.

“I want to state unequivocally that no APC governor in the country today has performed better than Governor Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa. The governor has conscience; the governor has character and has exhibited that since the early days of the PDP in the state.

“Delta State is very rich in resources – for example, we have at least nine natural harbours that can serve as ports – but we need an entrepreneur to turn things around, to tap the rich resources to improve the economy of the state.”

Responding, the state PDP chairman, Chief Esiso, said that anyone who considered himself/herself qualified was at liberty to aspire to the governorship in 2023, saying the party’s national leadership would at the appropriate time screen the aspirants who will eventually slug it out at the party primaries.

While advising the aspirants and leaders to encourage the people to get their permanent voter’s cards (PVCs), he assured all aspirants of a level playing field, urging Gbagi to feel free to go to the 270 wards in the 25 local government areas of the state to sell himself to the party faithful.

He said that the era of “becoming governor through the back door” was over, stressing that the PDP has many well qualified members aspiring for the state governorship position in 2023, assuring all of a level playing field.

According to him, the PDP is on a mission to rescue Nigeria from terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other socio-economic challenges confronting the nation today.

“Everybody is free to contest; it is open. A lot of qualified, very competent PDP members are coming out to contest the election; everyone has right to run for the governorship. They should all go to the field and test their popularity.

“In the EXCO, we are neutral. We don’t have support to give to any aspirant. It is our responsibility to give platforms to all aspirants to contest. It is when a candidate has emerged that we ensure that he or she becomes governor.

“Nobody can stop you from contesting for the office of the governor. At the party, we don’t have authority to screen aspirants, but at the appropriate time the national headquarters will screen aspirants. However, it is when you have bought an expression of interest form that we recognise you as an aspirant,” the state party chairman stated.

Esiso took the opportunity to react to a recent statement credited to the Deputy President of the Senate and an APC chieftain in the state, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, alleging that Okowa had practically nothing to show for his over six years as Delta State governor.

While itemising the achievements of the governor in all sectors of the local economy as evident across the 25 local government areas of the state, Esiso said that “only a permanently blind man will say that Governor Okowa has not achieved anything in the state.”