Delta 2027: Oborevwori Second Term Amid Power Brokers’ Booby Trap

By Chidiebere Onyemaizu

Ahead the 2027 gubernatorial election in Delta State, a political manoeuvring enginnered by a certain political godfather is in in the offing. And Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s re-election and second term in office is allegedly the target.

Daily Sun gathered that despite defecting to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to solidify his political base and second term chances, Governor Oborevwori whose impressive performance in office so far, including massive infrastructural drive, is not the said godfather’s favourite for 2027 Delta governorship. Instead, he (the godfather) is believed to be bent on working against Oborevwori re-election. To this end, the godfather and his allies, who in the first place allegedly lured Governor Oborevwori into the APC, are allegedly planning to orchestrate a series of politcal brinkmanship that will culminate in the governor not getting the party’s 2027 governorship ticket.

The governor’s aides and loyalists have however shrugged off such plot, describing it as an exercise in futility. “His Excellency, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori is too big to to be deceived or lured; too smart to be out flanked and out manoeuvred politically”, a loyalist of the governor who pleaded anonymity told Daily Sun.

Senator Emmanuel Aguariavwodo, Senior Political Adviser to Governor Oborevwori , on his part, told Daily Sun that the re-election of the governor for second term is a fait accompli as the people of the state are solidly behind him and quite appreciative of his government’s massive socio- economic and infrastructural development of the state.

Senator Aguariavwodo said that the governor consulted widely and got the green light of the people to join the ruling party.

Notedly, when in April this year, after months of intense speculations and mind game, Governor Oborevwori dramatically ditched the People Democratic Party (PDP), the main opposition party on which crest he rode to office in 2023, for the APC, not a few followers of Delta politics believed that he left the PDP for self- preservation: Largely to undercut his would-be APC challenger in the 2027 Delta governorship election, take over the party’s structure in the state, align with the party at the centre, ingrained himself with the presidency and secure a better stead for re-election under the cover of the government in power.

However, it is not always green at the other end. Daily Sun has been told that unknown to Governor Oborevwori, a dummy packed with all the above seeming benefits of switching to the ruling party was actually sold to him by forces that control structures of both the APC and PDP in the state.

A source familiar with Delta’s politics told Daily Sun that Governor Oborevwori was indeed lured out of the PDP and into the APC with the
alleged aim to getting him stranded, high and dry in the APC.

According to him, “politics at its crude form will pan out in Delta State in the run up to the 2027 gubernatorial election.”

Governor Oborevwori, he claimed, will not be given the APC guber ticket in 2027 to return to office not because he is not performing but because a political godfather and those controlling the levers of power in Delta want to install a godson as governor in 2027 hence they are concerned that his (Governor Oborevwori) sterling performance in office will be a huge threat to anyone or political parties that will contest against him.

“Those who successfully persuaded the governor to jump ship were out to torpedo his second term bid. What Governor Oborevwori didnt reckone with in his decision to cross over to the APC was that he was walking into a landmine with his two eyes opened; his defection was a beautifully decorated political snare meant to arrest his second term bid. What he didnt realise was that like River State where a certain political godfather wields enormous influence in the PDP and APC, in Delta State, a certain political godfather also controls the structures of both the APC and PDP and determines who becomes what in both parties.

“This same godfather who is believed to have the ears of the president, though not formally a member of the APC, is the defacto leader of the party in Delta and will at the nick of time decides who gets the APC gubernatorial ticket for 2027. I can assure you that his choice won’t be the incumbent governor, Oborevwori. Getting him to leave the PDP means he won’t be a candidate of the party in 2027 and denying him the APC guber ticket also means he won’t be the party’s candidate. Now, tell me, with the current outlook in Nigeria’s political horizon, apart from the APC, and to some extent, the PDP, which other party do you think can deliver victory to any politician in 2027? Non, of course,” the source added.

The source further said “What are they afraid of? They are afraid that Oborevwori’s impressive strides in socio- economic and infrastructural development in Delta state will make his re- election, even as a PDP candidate, a stroll in the park.”

Another source familiar with the plot to undo Oborevwori was emphatic that, “Oborevwori opponent during the 2022 PDP Delta gubernatorial primary, David Edevbie or the former Deputy Senate President and APC gubernatorial candidate for the state in the 2023 election, Senator Ovie Omo- Agege will get the APC 2027 guber ticket with a running mate from the Ika Federal Constituency of the state.”

Daily Sun gathered that the current Chairman, Governing Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Barrister Chiedu Ebie who hails from the Ika axis of the state as the immediate past governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa and the current Deputy Governor, Monday Onyeme, has been penciled down as as a running mate to either David Edevbie or Senator Omo Agege, depending on who is eventually picked.

Ebie’s alleged choice may not be unconnected with his rising popularity, influence and burgeoning followership within the Ika federal constituency. Unassuming, cerebral and urbane, Ebie who was variously Commissioner for Higher Education and Secretary to Delta State Government under Okowa, has virtually emerged as the politcal leader of the federal constituency with a plethora of individuals and groups in the area lately proclaiming him so and pledging unwavering loyalty. One of such groups, Ika Youth Vanguard for Democracy and Good Governance ( IYVDGG ) says Ebie’s political philosophy aligns with its own philosophy hence it regards him as the political leader of the Ika nation.

According to IYVDGG President, Johnson Okafor, “our vision is to build a society where every citizen has the opportunity to thrive, contribute, and actively participate in shaping a just, inclusive, and prosperous future.

“Like Barrister Ebie, we believe that sustainable progress can only be achieved when the people are empowered with the right knowledge, tools, and opportunities. For this reason, we focus on engaging young people as agents of change; encouraging them to take ownership of their communities, champion democratic ideals, and hold leadership accountable to the needs of the people.”

Continuing, Okafor said: “Just as the NDDC chairman and the political leader of the Ika nation, Barrister Ebie, the Ika Youth Vanguard for Democracy and Good Governance embraces inclusiveness, integrity, and service to humanity as our guiding principles. We mobilise grassroots participation, foster civic education, and support initiatives that uplift the standard of living in our communities.”

Another socio- political group, the GCON, while endorsing the NDDC Board Chairman’s politics and political leadership said of him: ‘’It is evident that he (Ebie) has used power both constructively and purposely to bring about social, economic and political changes for the good people of Ika nation. From infrastructural provisions to youth empowerment, human capital development, improved medical facilities provision, sports developments, scholarships ICT facilities among others.’’

A member of the group, Macdonald Eluma, told Daily Sun that “Ebie is the awaited political Messiah that the people of Agbor in particular, and Ika nation in general long desired.”

Urging for support for him, Eluma said: “I urge all to queue behind him as he is well experienced and blessed with the needed leadership needed to take the people to the zenith of their political aspirations.”

Meanwhile, further dismissing the alleged anti- Oborevwori plot while defending his principal’s decision to defect to the APC, Senator Aguariavwodo said: “Delta is an oil producing state and it will be absurd if we are not on the same page with the president. And the president has always commended the governor for his developmental strides, he has always told the governor that only a progressive governor could do what he is doing.

“I vehemently disagree with any one saying the governor was lured into the APC. He was not. Governor Oborevwori is the owner of the movement, nobody directed him, nobody deceived him. He sold the vision to the political class in Delta State and they bought into it; he consulted widely- Delta National Assembly members, members of the state House of Assembly, Commissioners, religious leaders, the youths, market women etc and the response was a green light to go ahead.”

According to Senator Aguariavwodo, the people of the state are happy with the governor because of his developmental efforts and are ready to return him to office in 2027.

“There is no part of Delta that hasn’t felt Governor Oborevwori’s impact or does not have a project; under him, all ongoing projects are being completed. In the 2023 governorship election, he won 21 out of the 25 local government areas in the state but in 2027, I can assure that he will win 25/25 because what is happening in Delta State today is unprecedented development and the people are with him, they are happy with him.”

(Daily Sun)