By Edeki Igafe
The Delta Unity Group (DUG) has endorsed the candidacy of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Governorship candidate in Delta, Sen. Ovie Omo-Agege, in the March 11 gubernatorial election.
The group made the endorsement in a press statement on Monday in Warri, jointly signed by its Chairman, Board of Trustees, Prof. Patrick Muoboghare, and Chiedu Ebie and Itiako Ikpokpo, top officials of the group.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the DUG is a union of long-standing, prominent and emerging leaders of the Delta chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
They are drawn from the three Senatorial Zones, Federal Constituencies, State Constituencies and Local Government Areas across the state.
NAN also reports that the objectives and focus of the DUG are primarily to promote unity and brotherliness within the political space and ensure effective and cohesive grassroots mobilisation for the success of candidates at all levels.
The political group said that its leadership and members were desirous of a state geared towards a fast-paced and sustainable socio-economic development.
According to them, they had held several sessions with Sen. Omo-Agege in which the current Deputy President of the Senate explained satisfactorily, inner details of his agenda and message of hope for the people of Delta.
“We believe these are achievable through a well thought out modernisation process and a State Chief Executive possessing the necessary level of intellect, competence and capacity to steer the ship of state in these precarious times.
“Going further, we are happy to announce that Sen. Omo-Agege has agreed to fully integrate and incorporate the Modernisation agenda of David Edevbie into his ‘Build A New Delta (BAND) governance agenda’ for the state.
“It is on this basis and the general yearnings of the people and friends of Delta that we, as members of the DUG, fully endorse the candidacy of Sen. Omo-Agege in the forthcoming Delta governorship election holding on March 11, 2023,” they said.
The group consequently directed its National Executive Committee and all its Executive organs which comprised Senatorial, Local Government, Ward and Units to mobilise en masse and work for the emergence of Sen. Omo-Agege as the next Governor of Delta.
Accordingly, the group enjoined the people and friends of Delta, including the teeming eligible voting youths, to join the patriotic and altruistic task.
The group recalled that at a press conference held in August 2022 in Kwale, it implored the leadership of the PDP at all levels in the state to show greater commitment to the unity of the party and also make the interest of the party paramount in all their activities.
“At subsequent meetings of the leadership of the DUG and in particular at a meeting held in Afiesere Community, Ughelli North, on Nov. 4, 2022, DUG members reiterated our membership of the PDP, believing that the state leadership of the party will activate genuine reconciliatory measures, build trust and reinforce party cohesion.
“We also expected that the gubernatorial candidate of the party, Sheriff Oborevwori, will within this period initiative genuine engagements and avail members of the group of his programmes and policies.
“And more importantly, his willingness to integrate all of the tendencies within the party. All of these were never to be,” they said.
The group said that the leadership of the party, rather in a most hostile dimension, kept members of DUG from all mainstream activities of the party.
They added that various attempts at mutual reconciliation were rebuffed by the leadership of the PDP. (NAN)
