Delta Shouldn’t Be In Opposition – Osinbajo

Prof Yemi Osinbajo, Nigeria’s vice President has said Delta State would become an APC control state by Saturday when the people of the state would cast their vote to elect a new governor and APC candidate, Chief Great Ogboru.

Osinbajo stated this on Monday at the PTI Conference Centre in Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State during a town hall meeting.

The meeting which was attended by several APC chieftains including immediate past governor of the state, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan, APC leader in the state, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, APC Isoko Federal constituency candidate in last election, Joel Onowakpo Thomas, Olorogun Ima Niboro, Rev. Francis Waive and a host of others was packaged to galvanized support for the APC governorship candidate, Chief Great Ogboru ahead the Saturday’s election.

The Vice President who represented President Muhammadu Buhari who was supposed to be at the event personally, however promised to tightened security within the state during the forthcoming election after some APC chieftains who spoke at the event accused security agencies and INEC officials of allegedly colluding with the ruling party in the state to rigged the last Presidential and National Assembly Election.

He said: “Delta state should not be an opposition state. Why should Delta be an opposition state? Why? There is no reason for it at all. For all the periods that Delta State has had high resources, what we need was a change from a progressive party. The time has come. This is the moment, let us seize that moment.

“I want to say there is apple reason for us as a people of this great state to ensure that we do not betray the trust of the millions of people of the state. Here, I speak to party members – by disunity and fighting among ourselves. That is what our opponents want the most. They want to see a divided party.

“A party where we are pointing accusing fingers at each other. If we are divided, there is no way we can possibly win. If we are divided that is the end of it. If we work together, we will definitely win and emerged victorious this Saturday. I believe that we can work together.

“What happened last Saturday is a great victory for us but it is only the beginning because the completion of that victory is going to come by the grace of God on Saturday March 9, 2019 when we vote in our own governor, Great Ogboru, who will by the grace of God be a governor from that very day.

Continuing, he said, “Just as you have said, every one of us have taken into account all of the issues you have raised especially the issue of security. It is a very fundamental issue. It is a way in the past how the PDP used and abused security in the country. We have seen frequently how they manage to victors when they are actually losers. So, there is no reason at all why we should not pay special attention to security and we will do so. I will ensure that we do so.

“The other reason why it is so important for us to ensure that Delta State become an APC state has been pointed out. The social investment programme that we put in place, it is only APC governor that can implement such programmes faithfully. We believe that once we are able to have an APC governor such programmes will be implemented”, Osinbajo added.

Speaking in the same vein, National Chairman of APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, expressed thanks to Deltans for voting for Buhari to emerge winner of the last election, boasting that the next election will be the last straw that will destroy PDP in Delta State.

Oshiomhole asked the electorate to collect money from the state ruling party if they decide to offer them state resources but disappoint them by voting for APC during the election, he added.

The APC national chairman boasted that PDP can no longer win election in Delta State since the party was now outdated and “PDP is now in a political menopause” throughout Nigeria.

“You (Delta APC) have substantially weakened the rigging machines of the PDP in Delta State. This time, you will stop them on Saturday and ensure that Okowa and PDP reign in Delta State is brought to an end.

“No one will provide unlawful security. Security operative should ensure that votes are counted because President Buhari wants to have cleaner elections”, APC National Chairman said.

Earlier, APC candidate Isoko Federal constituency, Mr Joel Onowakpo Thomas who spoke at the event told the vice president of how the elections were manipulated and rigged in many part of the state, particularly in his Isoko Federal constituency, where the electoral umpire was compromised to do the bidding of the PDP, he added.

“I won the last election clearly but the umpire went and declared my opponent winner but we will claim our mandate, but this kind of issue I think should be brought to the fore and addressed”.

According to him, the alleged rigging took place apparently because, “The software running in the electoral umpire is PDP”, saying “we have tried severally to uninstall that programme but each time we do, they interrupt it and reinstall it and we need to correct that anomaly”.