* Points at Tinubu or Obi
By Jon Egie
Deputy Senate President and APC Governorship candidate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege has said that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, is not a moral option on ballot of the presidential election scheduled to hold in February 25.
According to him, the legal and moral options on ballot of the election are Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and Mr Peter Obi of the Labour Party, LP.
The Deputy Senate President made the remark yesterday, Friday, February 10 in Ogoni during an interactive session with community leaders in Ughelli South LGA of Delta State.
He said it was disgusting to see some political leaders in the area still clamouring for support of the Atiku/Okowa presidential ambition after Governor Ifeanyi Okowa had betrayed the Asaba Accord which he hosted and announced on May 11, 2021 to the extent that power must shift to the south of Nigeria after eight years of President Muhammadu Buhari. The accord was ratified by the 17 governors of southern Nigeria who again met in Lagos two months after and came out with the Lagos Declaration reinforcing the Asaba Accord.
Senator Omo-Agege said the 19 governors of northern Nigeria saw the genuineness of the Asaba Accord and Lagos Declaration, for the sake of equity and justice and keyed into it. But regrettably, Governor Okowa who hosted the Asaba Accord betrayed his fellow southern governors and sold out the presidency to Atiku in exchange for a vice president position.
“Is Okowa not fit to be a president? If he had taken up the gauntlet of a president we would have supported him but he chose to betray the south for his personal interest of becoming a vice president and some political leaders in this area are clapping hands for him and asking you to support the People’s Democratic Party, PDP.
“Let me tell you, the presidential election is between Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Mr Peter Obi and both having been governors for eight years in their respective States and are from the south of Nigeria are qualified to contest the election and any one of them who wins can comfortably succeed President Muhammadu Buhari.
“Now I ask you to chose the type of Nigeria that you will love after President Buhari, a Nigeria that looks like Lagos or a Nigeria that looks like Awka? I am not here to impose anyone on you but to clear your view to enable you make a choice between Tinubu and Obi because, we are not even considering Atiku at all, he is not on the race. If you vote Tinubu what I cannot do with the limited resources of the State as a governor I will use federal assistance of the President and party man to do them.”
He particularly made case for Chief Ede Dafinone who he described as having a global name and integrity that would be an advantage for easy recognition in the floor of the Senate to speak on behalf of Delta central senatorial district and promised to avail him with contacts that will help him do all that he left undone at the Senate.
He appealed for calm of frayed nerves on behalf of House of Reps member, Revd Francis Waive saying whatever shortcomings the Constituents found on him will be made up when he returns to the house as a ranking federal lawmaker.
“Please don’t use me to compare others, most of the successes recorded for me are by my personal gust and everybody does not have that fighting spirit. I ask for my interest whenever there is anything in the pool. I am a special breed, don’t use me to compare the capacity of Revd Waive because he does not have the connection and contacts I have.” Senator Omo-Agege said.
Senator Omo-Agege said the essence of the meeting was to reach out to 97 percent of the population who are not partisan politicians having already campaigned in various rallies for the 3 percent the population that are partisan politicians.
He charged the people to realize that investing on a scheme that would empower the generality of people in a community is better than empowering a single person.
“Think of your person, your family, and your community and not about an individual Chief or political leader. I want to assure you that all your needs and challenges will be addressed in due time.”
Earlier on, Chairman of APC in Ughelli South, Olorogun Adelabu Bodjor gave assurance of 100 percent support for Senator Ovie Omo-Agege governorship candidacy and all APC candidates.
“The retinue of the community leaders seated here is an indication of their satisfaction of your performance in the senate and so will reward you by voting for you.”
Comrade Orakata Oviri, President General of Akperhe-Olomu who spoke on behalf of other community leaders accross the LGA also gave assurance of support for Senator Ovie Omo-Agege. He mentioned the reason why the people were agrrieved with Revd Francis Waive to be connected with his poor approach to resolving the electricity issue that had bedeviled the area for so long.
He said the leaders of the communities will meet, synchronize and document their areas of need and challenges and pass same to Senator Ovie Omo-Agege for attention when elected governor.