Ahead of the governorship election in Delta State, the gubernatorial candidate on the platform of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), His Excellency, Olorogun Barr. Kenneth Gbagi OON, has dared his rivals to show their sources of wealth, if they are innocent of corruption accusations levelled against them.
Those jostling for the number one seat with the Criminologist and lawyer are the Senator representing Delta Central Senatorial District cum Deputy Senate President, Ovie Augustine Omo-Agege, of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Sheriff Oborevwori of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Great Ovedje Ogboru, All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and Labour Party (LP), Ken Pela.
The SDP flag bearer and former minister of state for education, threw up the challenge on Tuesday January 31st 2023, during the 2023 Urhobo Prayer Day/Thanksgiving at God’s Will Mission headquarters, Usiefrun, Orhuwhorun, Udu local government area of the State.
Gbagi has been calling on Deltans to search all the candidates and vote the one that has character, integrity, industries/businesses where Deltans particularly the youths are earning their livelihood on daily basis.
Gbagi, a man with a foresight and business acumen has been described as the largest private investor in the State due his Robinson Gbagi Malls 1&2 on Deco road and PTI Junction including his popular Signatious Hotel and Light House Cinema, where over 10, 000 youths are working to put food on their tables.
The Chairman, GKO conglomerate has called on his opponents to rise up to the challenge thrown at them if their wealth are truly made from hard work.
The event put together by the Urhobo Christian Ministers Association International (UCMAI), an annual convention was organized by Bishop Dr. Jerry Gbakara and attended by high ranking Urhobo political class and church leaders.
While the governorship candidates of the APC, Omo-Agege and PDP, Oborevwori were represented at the event, Gbagi who has the fear of God and respect for the body Christ and a deep rooted Catholic was physically present at the epoch making ceremony.
Gbagi who stole the show when he mounted the podium to address the congregation on his developmental plans for the State, if elected lamented the backwardness the state has suffered in the last seven and half years.
The philanthropist bemoaned the inability of the Urhobo nation to defend the truth.
Hear him: “Urhobos, you have started again. A lot of you here are Christians, let me tell you one secret, were you to make the mistake of your life to vote in a Muslim president, all Christians and Nigeria will become a Muslim state.
“Go back and read your books, they are deceiving you. If a president rules a country for 10 years consecutively, that country becomes a Muslim state. If
either Atiku or Tinubu becomes president, this Church becomes a Mosque”.
Gbagi who was one of the founding fathers of PDP in the State alongside other prominent leaders bemoaned the misappropriation of funds that has plagued the state, predicting a tsunami crash.
Speaking on genuine wealth, he said “The only one man I respect, who is a genuine person recognized by Nigeria and the world, who is the richest Nigerian and Africa is Michael Ibru.
“I don’t know any other Urhobo man who is richer than myself other than Michael Ibru. We are not talking about stolen wealth, we are talking about wealth that is traceable”.
“I challenge any contestant and any Deltan, because if you deceive yourself, deceit will be your portion.
“ll the governorship candidates we have today are over 50 years, if you have not been able to do anything tangible for yourself and your people with your personal wealth, you’re waiting to get into government, you’re waiting to use government money to fix issues, you’re a liar, if you have it, show us” he challenged.
“We cannot continue like this, election is coming, and we should not be deceived”, he said.
Rt. Rev’d Blessing Erifeta, who led the congregation to pray for the electoral process, declared that in the forthcoming 2023 elections both in the state and Nigeria at large, it would not be business as usual as Nigerians have suffered enough due to bad governance.
According to Erifeta, “It is not that Urhobo nation does not have a voice, we do not listen to the voice and that is why we are were we are today in Delta state.
“God has been speaking through our prophets but we have not been listening. God is going to give us a man after his heart, not a man after a party or any human.
“God is going to shock Nigerians and even Deltans in this 2023 election. He will raise a leader that will shock Nigerians”.
Present at the event was HRM Dr. Edirin Egbi, the Okobaro of Ughievwen Kingdom (Owahwa II), Rt Rev’d Blessing Erifeta, Primate of St Lazarus Christ Church Primate Jonathan Arhawanrien amongst others.
