PDP Gov Oborevwori: ‘If Tinubu Fails, I Will Fail’—Disowns Aide Over Criticism Of President’s Economic Policies

Governor of Delta State, Sheriff Oborevwori, has disowned one of his media aide who criticized the economic policies of the APC-led government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The governor, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, (CPS), Sir Festus Ahon, said that neither him nor the CPS issued any statement lambasting Tinubu’s economic policies adding that as a governor he was fully focusing on the governance and development of his state.

Ahon responded to a report credited to one of the Executive Assistants, New Media, to the Governor, Mr Felix Ofou, who was said to have lampooned the Tinubu’s government over his economic policies.

Ofou had while responding to former Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege’s recent diatribe on Governor Sheriff Oborevwori at an APC event in Oghara, Ethiope West Local Government Area of the state, took Tinubu to the cleaners, questioning the value of the increased federal allocations claimed by Omo-Agege amidst galloping inflation, Naira devaluation, and widespread poverty.

Omo-Agege had at an APC event applauded the economic policies of the Tinubu-led Government, stressing that it has led to increased federal allocation to State and Local governments, rising economic growth rates, declining imports, higher exports, and higher incomes for farmers.

But Ofou queried, “Can we really talk of increased money in any state in Nigeria? What is the worth of such money in the face of galloping inflation, gross devaluation of the Naira, unparalleled hunger, mass poverty, mass unemployment, daily closure of major factories and multinationals in the country?”

“Is this the model that Omo-Agege is recommending for Delta to copy! A model that has unleashed economic hardship on the people? Why would anyone recommend APC’s T-pain as remedy to our woes? Obviously, this is not a path desirable for Deltans and one they would want to embrace at this time,” Ofou had written.

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However, following the backlash the report had generated in the media, Ahon frowned that a personal article written by Ofou was being mischievously and deliberately misinterpreted by a section of the media, adding that, contrary to perception, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori had a harmonious working relationship with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

According to him, “the Governor has constantly urged Deltans and other Nigerians to continue to give support to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu”, stressing that “if the President fails”, he, as a governor, would have failed, too.”

He said this was the same view Governor Oborevwori lucidly expressed at the Urhobo Progress Union, UPU event on Saturday 7th December, at which event, he said, inter alia, “I want to appeal to Urhobo nation today, I am saying it here, I am an Urhobo man and am Governor of Delta State.

“But I will tell you today whether you like it or not, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is supporting this administration. God has made him the President as God has made me the Governor of Delta State.

“So, as you are supporting me, support him because if he fails, I will fail, but by the grace of God, he will not fail and I will not fail, too.

“Mr President has appointed our sons and daughters into various positions. He did not appoint people from outside the state. God has given him victory and God has given me victory; you people should support us to succeed”.

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Ahon added, “it is, therefore, imperative to state categorically that, as Chief Press Secretary and official spokesman of the Governor of Delta State, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori did not, and has never, expressed such views on Mr President’s economic policies.

“The general public is, therefore, advised to jettison such misleading reports as they do not reflect the views of the Governor who is working very hard to provide good governance for Deltans and other residents of the state, despite the present economic challenges faced by the citizens.”