… we will vote for you, tools & motor spare parts market sellers assure Gbagi
Thousands of residents in Warri defied a heavy downpour for hours on Wednesday to stage a two-thousand-man march in support of the governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Olorogun Barr. Kenneth Gbagi, FNIM, OON.
Participants, mostly young men, women, men and even children who were not left out began congregating at the PTI Junction, Effurun, as takeoff point before swarming into the Osubi airport to receive their hero.
Supporters were seen dancing to the tune of different drum beats and rendering praises despite the rains.
Members of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), Market Women’s Association, political supporters, pressure groups
and entertainers all besieged the airport, took part in the over four-hour-long march which heralded Gbagi’s arrival.
Vehicular movement came to a halt as the aircraft, which conveyed the governorship candidate from Abuja, landed at the Osubi Airport.
The SDP governorship candidate who arrived with his entourage in company of the South-south Vice Chairman of the party, Elder Fred Owhotorofa, came into the state for a scheduled grand reception organized by the party to honour their trailblazer.
The mammoth crowd, also have the State party Chairman, Ambassador Oke Idawene JP, the Deputy governorship candidate, Chief Mrs. Oshilim Ishioma Rosemary, Ughelli south LGA Chairman Pastor Amos Osiki and other big party chieftains.
The SDP gubernatorial candidate has a huge support base in Delta, as enthusiastic crowds were seen dressed in party color on motorcycles also known as Okada, in tricycles otherwise known as Keke Napep and buses waving flags.
Armed with the SDP flags and uniforms as well as different sizes of banners of Gbagi and the party’s presidential candidate, Prince Adewole Adebayo, the participants marched through the ever-busy Osubi Road back to PTI Junction to Effurun Roundabout thereby causing heavy traffic gridlock on the road.
The major road from the airport to the Mechanic Village were cordoned-off by men and officers of the Delta State Police Command and Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) in an apparent effort to ensure adequate security.
The procession finally ended at the Mechanic Village where the governorship candidate, Olorogun Gbagi, addressed members and executives of the Tools and Motor Spare Parts Market Sellers, encouraging them to arm themselves with their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) ahead of the 2023 elections.
He told them that as governor of the state, within 18 months, he would give the Tools and Motor Spare Parts Market a face-lift as his government would partnership with them.
A highly elated Gbagi, flanked by his Deputy, Chief Rosemary, Idawene, Bishop John Okorotete and many others who returned all glory back to God, said he is more positioned to liberate Delta State.
He said SDP will bring on board values in terms of the developmental initiatives, values in terms of his governorship disposition and appreciated the many challenges that have been confronting Delta, including insecurity, unemployment, disunity vowing to restore the loss of sense of purpose among the youths.
He said: “We understand the need to rejig the education sector, create employment. If you people give me the opportunity, I will change the spare part market. Give me 18 months as governor, you will not know this market again.
“As a person, I don’t discriminate. I felt Delta State is too backward, I felt as a people, you have been cheated, I felt the efforts you people are putting into life here in Delta State, is no commensurate with what you get in return.
“I want to tell all of you to be smart, as I have come here today, all of them will try to copy me but if you are not the architect of a house, you cannot know how to build the house and even if you enter the house, you will not know the topography of the house. If they know how to do it, Delta State will not be like this.
“My government will partnership with you. I will build another 50 malls for you people. Don’t allow yourself to be deceived. Unless we industrialize this state, we are wasting our time. What I want from you people, is a partnership for us to build industries all over this place.
“I will champion it, I will bring foreigner for us to industrialize this state, I will restore your hopes”, the largest private entrepreneur in the state, promised.
The party chairman, encouraged them to take the good news to other parts of the market, “all these testimonies, it is good that we have our PVCs. The number of Igbos, Gbagi is supporting is over a 100, 000.
“Let us go and spread the gospel, prepare yourselves and go and vote for SDP come 2023. If Gbagi becomes governor, this market will not be like this, I can assure because he is a businessman by nature, he is an industrialist. Go and deliver him” he stressed.
In their assurances, Chairman of the Tools and Motor Spare Parts Market Association, Mr Nnaemeka Ndulue and others who spoke assured the former minister of State for education, that they would give their votes en-mass to him.
“It is our turn to pay you back because you took us as your brothers and sisters.
“Eighty per cent of those occupying your malls are Igbos. We will vote for you. We will give you our support”, they assured.
