By Dr. Ifeanyi M. Osuoza
When an institution that is expected to conduct itself on the basis of informed facts begins to act and react on the basis of speculation or rumour, we must see that something must have gone wrong with its medulla, its core.
It is therefore no wonder that, acting through its State Publicity Secretary, Barr Valentine Onojeghuo, the Delta State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress allowed itself to issue a public statement, as recently reported, in reaction to what Onojeghuo himself clearly termed “speculations” that His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, is seeking to defect to the APC.
It is even sadder that Onojeghuo describes himself as a lawyer who ordinarily should know the need to act on the basis of facts, but we can understand that the Delta APC is suffering from incontinence and cannot help itself.
Incontinence in common parlance is “peeing in the pants.” In addition to adverse medical conditions, it occurs when someone is seriously stressed, stricken by deep fear, loses his brain control, becomes unable to control his vital organs, and thus drips involuntarily.
That appears to be the condition that is currently afflicting the Delta State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress, pitifully.
Consumed by the psychological trauma, pathological grief, chronic sadness and irreversible depression over the massive rejection of its candidate by Deltans in the 2023 Governorship election, it has numbed itself into recurring nightmares and now suffers anxiety, self-suffocation and pervasive fear as Deltans look determined to re-elect Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori in 2027.
Oborevwori being not a self-conceited person and not given to unnecessary showmanship, they had imagined that their candidate, Ovie Omo-Agege, would defeat him in the elections, but Deltans made a rigorous character judgment of the two, and supported Oborevwori massively to hand Agege a crushing defeat.
Feeling woefully disgraced, they instigated the institution of about 38 litigations to upturn the victory, but Oborevwori also defeated them in all.
Deflated, they resigned with the hope of relaunching their bid in 2027, but the responsible, inclusive leadership style and sterling performance being delivered by Oborevwori is already assuring his return, at the same time showing them that they will suffer even more disgraceful defeat in 2027.
All across the state, Deltans are pleased with the projects and programmes of the administration. They richly appreciate the pace of work on the Ughelli-Asaba Expressway, the Warri and Effurun three flyover bridges, a cloverleaf and massive stormwater drainage channels projects, all going on simultaneously in the metropolis.
They had thought that they have been disregarded and forgotten and did not ever anticipate the projects, talk less of the engagement of Julius Berger to handle them, but as they commute daily, they are pleasantly surprised to see the projects taking shape rapidly. This is in addition to the Trans Warri Ode-Itsekiri Road and hundreds of other internal roads and drainage projects in the area.
It is the same for the people of Ndokwa East for whom the Beneku Bridge has been done while over 26 other road projects are on across Ndokwa and Ukwuani.
It is the same for the Ijaw nation where the Bedeseigha Bridge has been done, while action is now on the Ayakoromo Bridge, the Ohoror-Bomadi road, Ogulagha-Odimodi road, with various other internal road projects completed and ongoing from Patani, Burutu to Bomadi LGAs.
In Oshimili/Aniocha axis the people are happy with the completion of the Okpanam-Ibusa Bypass, the Isheagu-Ewulu road and several internal road projects also completed or ongoing in Asaba, Ibusa, Ogwashi-Uku and a number of other towns and villages.
Deltans can see that Ughelli area is already wearing a new look, not only with the reconstruction of roads in Ughelli Township and other suburban centres, but especially with the speedy work on the Orere-Ewu bridge with spurs to connect over 26 communities.
Such critical road projects have been delivered and more are ongoing in Isoko, Ika, Sapele, Udu and Okpe lands. In fact, as at the last count, there are over 500 road and drainage projects going on across the state.
Other sectors, from education, transportation, agriculture and housing, are not left out. In health, about 260 Primary Health Care Centres and 64 General Hospitals are being renovated, upgraded and re-equipped.
Perhaps, the more immediate results are the administration’s social investments, with D-CARES beneficiaries raised from 36,000 to over 250,000 under two years, besides the deliveries of the MORE Grant, the MORE Biz-Up programmes to strengthen micro, small and medium enterprises, and the intensified output of the Job Creation Office.
The same goes for the state work force, retired or in active service, who have had all their dues and more provided, and the youth and student communities who are enjoying the Delta “ukodo” like never before, with regular bursary and free medical services anywhere they are.
Truly, any opposition is bound to “pee in the pants” seeing these remarkable performances and knowing that they effectively destroy any formidable chance or hope for them to come to the contest in the next election.
Their condition is worsened by the acknowledgement of Oborevwori’s outstanding performance and rising profile in the national political sphere.
Why would Delta APC not pee in the pants when President Bola Tinubu has come publicly to acknowledge, describe and commend Oborevwori as a Governor for all, Pan Deltan, a detribalised leader and bridge-builder, adding that if we have more of his type, this country will be better?
Why would the Delta APC not pee in the pants when the Nigeria Governors Forum in conjunction with the Federal Ministry of Health conceded to Delta State the Bill and Melinda Gates Awards for Primary Health Care Development in a peer review with other states?
Why will the Delta APC not pee in the pants when Oborevwori’s infrastructure building projects have been reported to the President as “unimaginable” by no less a person as the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum, a gentleman who says it as it is.
In comparison, in the last election the Delta APC paraded a candidate whose best public reputation is about the brigandage of mace snatching, an image that President Tinubu would never associate with to trade off his long and hard earned reputation as a democrat.
But perhaps, the most woeful betrayal of irresponsibility by the Delta APC is in their inability to understand why Governor Oborevwori has called for public support and hugely collaborating with the Tinubu administration to ensure the success of the ongoing socio-economic reforms.
Need it be emphasized that the country is one nation and the success of the Federal Government has a corresponding success effect on all the states?
For the avoidance of doubt, the PDP is basically driven by these establishing principles: the pursuit of the socio-economic development and growth of the nation, the prosperity of the people and the deepening of democracy for the sustenance of good governance, and they have remained the guiding values of the Delta State Governor.
But like we have noted, the Delta APC is living in a crippling fear of him, so we can understand why they have become sleepless and incontinent.
They are only hoping to survive through unintelligent propaganda as they are currently engaged in. Pitifully for them, “e no go work.”