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Ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Delta State has dismissed the formal declaration of Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege to contest the 2023 governorship of the state, casting aspersions on his comments, which the party described as lies couched in deceits.

Below is full text of the PDP statement:

OMO-AGEGE AND HIS CATALOGUE OF LIES, DECEIT; HAS NOTHING TO OFFER DELTANS – PDP

The Delta State Peoples Democratic Party, PDP has dismissed the Thursday, April 14, 2023 Delta 2023 Governorship declaration speech of Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, as a catalogue of lies and deceits.

PDP in a swift reaction described the Orogun politician, as an unserious pretender, with nothing to offer Deltans, except to tell them to continue praising President Mohammadu Buhari for his own political good fortune in becoming Deputy Senate President.

A statement by Delta PDP Publicity Secretary, Dr. Ifeanyi Osuoza noted that while Omo-Agege’s entry into the Delta Governorship race has at least given the APC in the State some undeserved attention as a kind of political nomenclature, it has nevertheless, increased appetite and heightened the resolve of the PDP, more than ever before, to now intensify its already formidable efforts towards securing resounding victory in the 2023 Delta Governorship polls.

The statement reads: “The Delta PDP watched in utter amazement and tasteless disgust, as the Deputy Senate President of the Nigerian Senate, Ovie Omo-Agege, in what he described as a declaration speech for the 2023 Governorship of Delta State, under his party, APC, on Thursday, April 14, 2022, reeled out lies upon lies one after the other, with deceitful political cunning before Deltans and the world.

“We watched aghast, as Omo-Agege literally brought great dishonour and unpardonable disrepute upon the hallowed reverence and integrity of the Senate as the citadel of our democracy, where he superintends as number two man, as he dropped lie upon lie from his mouth and with a straight face, to the shame of many Deltans watching and the chagrin of discerning Nigerians, who observed this shallow brand of politics that impugned harshly on our intelligence and sensibilities.

“Anyways, we were not surprised that most politicians who can look you straight in the face, lie effortlessly through their teeth, and commit all manner of moral and existential misdemeanors that tarnish even on the sacred authority of the positions and status they occupy, are the ones who get national, presidential pardon and are elevated to heights of political authority, in this APC-led administration.

“Of course, we all remember how the then-Senator representing Delta Central Senatorial zone in the last Senate session, was linked to a shameful and brazen invasion of the Senate chambers by unknown hoodlums, which led to the “Mace grabbing” saga, on the very day that debate was slated and signatories were even supposed to be taken, to commence impeachment proceedings on the President. But plenary could not commence without the Mace and the matter subsequently frizzled away naturally.

“All accusing fingers of complicity pointed at the Delta Central Senator, as the mastermind of the sordid Senate invasion and Mace grabbing episode.

The Senator was then elevated to the position of Deputy Senate President in the next dispensation, allegedly in recognition of the incident on that fateful day when the Senate chambers was invaded, the Mace was carted away in bandit-like style and impeachment proceedings against the President, as well as other matters, could not be tabled.

Of course, without prejudice to the final declaration of the court, Nigerians and indeed Deltans have not forgotten and will never forget. The shame and disgrace of that gory and gang style affront on our democracy still hangs over us and the association with the moniker “Mace grabber”, will always be the first impression and perception, rightly or wrongly glued and attached to any Deltan from that shameful episode, who aspires to become Governor of our great and nationally respected State.

“So, we are not in the least, disturbed by the lies which poured forth with glib oratory in that watery declaration speech and we will not join issues with him for the simple fact that we intend to figuratively keep our gun powder dry and instead, encourage our aspirants who have declared their guber ambitions, to continue to engage Deltans with our dedicated concentration on promoting and informing our people on how to deliver democracy dividends to them, as contained in the comprehensively packaged developmental agenda of our distinguished aspirants; an agenda which Omo-Agege, unfortunately, did not provide in his deceitful declaration.

“By the way, we watched with great laughter and pity, as Senator Peter Nwaoboshi, who quite a while ago, decamped to the APC, listened with quiet embarrassment as Omo-Agege reeled out his modest street lights and small transformers achievements, and stated categorically that, while he has accomplished so much for his people, there are however no projects and democracy dividends to show in the eight years of PDP rule in Delta North, especially in Aniocha, Oshimili and  Ndokwa; a period out of which Peter Nwaoboshi was the Delta North PDP Senator for Six years.

So, is Omo-Agege directly addressing Nwaoboshi, who was the powerful Chairman of, the Senate Committee on Niger Delta and NDDC, as a failure? Your guess is as good as ours.

“Interestingly too, we have read some APC social media hacks gloating about the “crowd” that turned out for the Omo-Agege:s declaration, but we know for sure that the mammoth crowd at the ‘High Voltage’ Mega Rally that overwhelmed Ughelli township stadium, to welcome Barr. Jaro Egbo, one of Omo-Agege’s closest ally, back to PDP, was more massive than the few hundreds that gathered at FUPRE, in Warri for a whole DSP.

“As for Senator Omo-Agege’s brazen lies that the Okowa administration has not created jobs for the youths or done projects in Delta, we would have loved to inform Senator Omo-Agege that in the last six years of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa’s administration, more than 200,000 youths, including over 4,000 from Omo-Agege’s own LGA, have been trained and empowered and are now proud independent entrepreneurs and job creators. More will be created before the end of the tenure.

“We would also like to inform Senator Omo-Agege that legacy projects have been delivered in the area of education where he slammed Isoko people, by  flippantly describing their newly upgraded University and pride of Isokoland, as ‘glorified secondary school”. The fact is that the institution has not only already admitted thousands of students which include students from Omo-Agege’s village and LGA, but has been referenced as a shining example of how postmodern academic institutions can be administered in accordance with best global practices.

“Also Omo-Agege needs to be informed that the Okowa administration, from available records, has constructed over 1,500 kilometers of roads and over 1,000 kilometers of line drainages, including the famous stormwater drainage projects to tackle flooding in Asaba, Okpanam, and the Warri, Effurun axis and these have been widely reported and are in the public domain. It is on record that as of today, there is no Local Government in Delta State where the outstanding legacy projects footprints of the Okowa administration have not been planted.

“So when next Senator Omo-Agege comes out with his avalanche of lies and deceitful campaign rhetoric because he wants to be Governor at all cost, the facts will always challenge his lies and speak for themselves. Deltans are wiser and know the truth.

“On a final note, Senator Omo-Agege needs to be reminded, as a matter of serious consideration, that he has already committed his first irredeemable mistake by vowing and ranting that “he will chase away the Okowa-led PDP administration in Delta State” (his own words).

Now, unless we are missing something, or maybe Omo-Agege is living in a different time zone, how exactly is he going to do that, when Governor Ifeanyi Okowa’s tenure will end in 2023? Or perhaps is there going to be another similar “Mace-grabbing” invasion of Osadebe House before May 29, 2023? Nothing is beyond these desperate people at all.

“In any case, however, let us sound it loud and clear that the PDP is very ready and prepared to meet whoever the opposition throws up as their candidate in the Delta 2023 Governorship election. We are very organized, we are United and we are very ready. PDP is Delta and Delta is PDP. Come 2023, as it is said in our street parlance, “Ovie Omo-Agege, APC and their co-travelers go collect again, but this time dem go collect wótówótó.”

End of discussion.

PDP! Power to the People!!

Dr. Ifeanyi M. Osuoza
State Publicity Secretary,
PDP, DELTA STATE.

15TH APRIL, 2022