As the major opposition party in Delta State, the All Progressives Congress (APC) is steadily enmeshed in crisis, groups and individuals have continued to see reasons to celebrate the winner of the governorship election in the state, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
Such groups as the Indommittable Youths of Delta State and the Niger Delta Youths Council said there was no better way to encourage the governor to do more in his second term in office come May 29, than to celebrate him.
The groups through the office of the Special Assistance to the Governor on Youth Mobilisation, Kennedy Ochei, have set aside April 6 for a victory thanksgiving to God and for Him to see the governor through.
On the other hand, the group has concluded plans to hold a three-day free medical outreach in the state in the next few weeks. This is aimed at touching the socio-economic lives of the people. It is a kind of pay back time for Deltans for voting Okowa back to office, according to them.
Kennedy Ochei said he was partnering a team of 11 medical doctors from the Anioma Doctors’ Forum to achieve this. They have already volunteered themselves for the assignment, he explained.
Speaking on Okowa’s victory, Ochei said, “The victory is worth celebrating in all ramifications. It was very free and fair. It was very peaceful and without any stress. The margin of the win alone makes it worth celebrating. It is wonderful!”
The results revealed that Okowa polled a total of 925,274 votes to defeat Great Ogboru of APC, who scored 215,938. While Okowa won in 23 out of the 25 LGAs of the state, Ogboru won in only two LGAs.
Although the APC kicked against the result, which was announced bythe Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the state, and threatened to challenge the result in the elections tribunal.
Now, rather than see the APC versus PDP at the tribunal, what Deltans saw last week was that a Federal High Court sitting in Asaba sacked the Jones Erue-led APC that produced Great Ogboru as guber candidate; the senator-elect, Omo-Agege and all the House of Assembly members elect on the platform of the APC. The court by its judgment enthroned Cyril Ogbodo-led faction of the party as the authentic state executive council.
The APC factions have moved to higher courts to continue their legal fights. That seems to have shattered the party the more as it made them get deeper into litigations over the ownership control of the party.
Kicking against APC’s claims that the results were rigged in favour of his boss, Ochei said, “There is nothing like rigging in that election.
Everywhere was peaceful and Deltans actually turned out to appreciate and vote for the SMART Governor because of his achievements”.
“Statistically, the result is very simple to analyze. Imagine out of 25 LGAs, the governor won in 23 LGAs. How would opposition identify
the rigging? How would they challenge such result?” he queried.
Continuing, he said, “Look at it, there is a minimum of 317 roads that the governor has completed and as I am speaking to you, he is still constructing more roads notwithstanding that the elections are over”.
The aide said the people of the state would benefit more in Okowa’s second tenure as the governor was poised to achieve more for the state, and advised the aggrieved APC members to join hands with the PDP-led government to work for a stronger Delta State where every Deltan could benefit from the SMART Agenda of the administration in the next four years.
