TheCable

Eight political parties contesting in the governorship election in Delta have adopted Sheriff Oborevwori of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as their candidate. 

The political parties are the Action Alliance (AA), Action Democratic Party (ADP), Allied Peoples Movement (APM), African Action Congress (AAC), African Democratic Congress (ADC), Action Peoples Party (APP), Accord Party and Booth Party.

The political parties made their decision public at a press conference on Thursday in Asaba, the capital of Delta.

The governorship election will hold on March 11 in 24 states across the country.

Speaking on behalf of his colleagues, Henry Eze, governorship candidate of APM, said they adopted Oborevwori to “consolidate the gains” of Ifeanyi Okowa’s administration.

“Delta is a traditional PDP state and for stability and furtherance of an atmosphere for inter-party harmony and cohesion,” he said.

“It became necessary to adopt a governorship candidate with good political credentials, pedigree and general acceptability as a consensus candidate for the 2023 governorship election in the state.

“The choice of our consensus candidate fell on Rt. Hon Sheriff Oborevwori of the PDP who happens to be the current Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly.

“Oborevwori has worked very hard, embarked on ward-to-ward campaigns and done wide consultations with virtually all known stakeholders in the state.”

Eze said Delta believes in continuity and that Okowa has impressed the people of the state.

“It is, therefore, natural that another PDP governor should continue from where he stopped to consolidate on the gains of his administration,” he said.

“The eight governorship candidates came together to endorse Sheriff Oborevwori as a consensus candidate based on the following reasons:

“Delta state requires a candidate that would continue the laudable projects of Gov. Okowa. And Rt. Hon. Oborevwori has proven to be a good administrator and a team player, having become the longest serving Speaker in the history of the Delta State House of Assembly and the first to transmute from one administration to another.

“Oborevwori is a calm, calculated workaholic, a devout God-fearing Christian who can be entrusted with the management of human and material resources.

“Like the Americans would say, there is no need to change the winning team. PDP governors in Delta have brought peace and development to the state and there is no reason why we should change a party that is doing well.

“We have taken this all-important and crucial decision with the backing of the relevant organs and membership of our various political parties.”

Oborevwori is the current speaker of the Delta state house of assembly.