Ahead of the 2023 general election, members of a pressure group known as Delta Obedient For Gbagi, has adopted and declared their support for the Social Democratic Party (SDP) governorship candidate, His Excellency, Olorogun Barr. Kenneth Gbagi OON. FNIM.
Speaking on Thursday January 2nd 2023, at the SDP Campaign Office in Asaba, the state capital, the group made up of various Peter Obi support groups, said they decided to support the former minister of state for education because of his leadership qualities.
They said in 2023, Delta State needed a man who could transform the state, and appealed for more support from the electorate to vote for Gbagi, in the coming election in order to liberate the State from total collapse.
Delta Obedient For Gbagi, accused the ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC), at the federal and state levels of failing to provide good governance for the people, saying they lied to Deltans and Nigerians of bringing a positive change and “Prosperity for all Deltans”, but ended up putting the citizens in difficult situations.
They assured that the group would galvanize for more support across the 25 local government areas of the state, assuring that they would avoid all forms of trouble and be law-abiding while going about their duties.
Speaking on behalf of the group, the Director for Peter Obi in Diaspora, Dr. David Solomon, said he is supporting Obi for president and Gbagi for governor because he believes in the betterment of the country and Delta, his own State.
“I am a Deltan who believes in the betterment of Nigeria by supporting Peter Obi who is our Principal, for president and when it comes to Delta State, we are standing with a candidate that is like Peter Obi.
“His name is Olorogun Barr. Kenneth Gbagi, of SDP. That is the person we believe that will deliver the same way like Peter Obi.
“What I want to tell Deltans is that, we have to shine our eyes. This is not the era where someone finishes and he selects who is going to cover for him whether the person is capable or not and puts him in the office.
“As we are fighting to get our Nigeria, back from the wicked leadership of the country, we are also fighting to get our State back, to make sure that the candidacy of Gbagi, will be able to change, industrialize and delivers what is good and great for Delta State.
“The meeting we just finished is a meeting of Obedient, various Obedient support groups who are in Delta State. They all are working for Obedient but many of them don’t have a governorship candidate.
“So, it is our responsibility to let them know that yes, Abuja, is where Peter Obi, is going to be but we also see the corruption at the State level. It is where the benefit and the dividends of democracy will get to Deltans.
“So, that is why we are galvanizing as Obedient who are in Delta to deliver our State for better governance and the betterment of every Deltan”, he disclosed.
On his part, the Convener cum state Coordinator, Obedient For Gbagi, Ogheneruese Phil Precious Udoro, commended the efforts of the group towards ensuring victory for Gbagi in 2023 and assured them that their efforts would not be in vain.
Udoro, who is in several support groups for Peter Obi, said: “The truth still remains that majority of Obedient in Delta have no faith in the gubernatorial candidate they have.
“We have sat down and we have thought, we were given many reasoning that should we just sit down and look at the national, we should also look at the State.
“Because whether we believe it or not as much as we need Peter Obi in the presidency, we also need someone of character, quality, integrity who has what it takes to govern the State.
“We took a lot of time to think and we have come to an agreement that Olorogun Barr. Kenneth Gbagi, has the experience in his own personal capacity.
“He is one of the richest men in Urhobo land and he has built his own personal business. We don’t see him as someone going to government house to enrich himself. We don’t believe that.
“He has the political experience. He was onetime minister of state for education and we saw how he performed. So, that kind of person deserve our support for him to be governor of the state.
“When we look at all the governorship candidates, none of them puts their money in the State. Look at that of the APC, PDP, they are not empowering Deltans.
“But in this place we have somebody who is empowering Deltans. If you go to Warri, you will see his Malls and businesses. Many Deltans are feeding and making their livelihood from there.
“If we have somebody who is employing Deltans and making them have life, if we saddle him with the responsibility of the State, he will do. He has told us that he wants to industrialize the State.
“This state needs to be industrialized and we wants to key into that. Gbagi, is a credible person. He is the person who is qualified because he has worked, he has shown capacity in his own business and in governance”, he said.
