Delta 2023: Gbagi says he is the anointed Successor
Delta gubernatorial aspirant Olorogun Chief Barrister.Kenneth Gbagi, former Minister of State on Education on Wednesday 12 , May 2021 at his country home in Oginibo, said he has the full support of the incumbent Governor Sen. Dr.Ifeanyi Okowa in his quest to contest the 2023 governorship Election under the Peoples Democratic Party.
By Success Okuchemiya
Gbagi stated this while receiving a group of Ijaw supporters from Kiagbodo in Ngbelebiri-Mein kingdom in Burutu local government area of Delta State noted that he was surprised at the solidarity visit and show of loyalty for his governorship aspiration.
When this Reporter asked the former Minister for State on Education whether
he was aware of a pressure group, DC-23 that has been formed with a view to ensuring that Delta Central Senatorial District (urhobo) produces the next Governor come 2023, he stated that Chief Ighoyota Amori, the promoter of the group, is a friend.
According to him ” I have lifted him in life. In the year 1998/1999 Ighoyota Amori met me and said that with what he knows about me, that there can never be a better person that will be Governor of Delta state and that he wanted me to be the Governor of Delta state and that he has come to plead with me to accept and I told him I was not interested because Amori was technically leaving with me every weekend of his life and Amori knows that all the Governors in Nigeria were coming to meet with me every weekend and he was seeing them, I was telling them to help give Amori contracts to help him then”.
Furthermore, Gbagi said “When I wanted to start my governorship campaign I visited Amori with a number of people and the video is there Amori spoke and told people the story of how and when I saw wealth,made wealth and power, and that he does not believe that there is any person in the state who can change the fortune of the state than myself. So the question is whether the D-23 group is going to over power Amori or Amori is going to over power them. I do not believe that Amori after Sixty years can lie because he told me that he does not know any other Urhobo man that can do justice to governance of Delta state than myself. So, I have discussed this several times with Chief Amori but he said to me that he can not do anything without a written permission from Governor Okowa so I am waiting to see that written permission because the Governor as we speak today is the leader of the PDP in Delta state. So the same way we have respect for former Governors Ibori as a leader and Uduaghan we must respect Okowa as the leader.
Accordingly, Gbagi noted that he is a loyal party member from 1998 till date, one of the PDP founders including Prof Sam Oyovbaire and Chief James Ibori. Besides he said he is the only founder of the party in the Delta State Governorship election come 2023 while all the other aspirants joined the party later.
Gbagi who promised provision of workable infrastructure for the growth of all Deltans regardless of the various tribes thanked the IJAW support group for acknowledging him as the right candidate to be Governor of Delta state come 2023 adding that Okowa has set a good pace that will make his work much easier when elected governor come 2023.
Gbagi added that he has establishments already on the ground to show he can actually deliver noting that he is not a hungry man rather his ambition is to change the narrative of Delta state thereby creating industries, poverty eradication, and a good atmosphere for all Deltans.
Curiously, Governor Okowa at an empowerment programme organised by the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon Ndudi Elumelu, caution all political leaders in the state not to mislead their people stating that leaders of the three Senatorial zone will meet to point the way forward for the 2023 Governorship race.
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