2023: SDP Guber Candidate Promises to Turn Delta to Glorious Industrial State

Omon-Julius Onabu in Asaba

Gubernatorial candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi, has restated that he is the right man to succeed Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of  Delta State in 2023 as he has all its takes to industrialize the state to gloriuis and enviable levels.

Addressing newsmen at his Oginibo country home in Ughelli South Local Government Area of the state, on yesterday, Gbagi maintained that he was head and shoulders above all those aspiring to be the next governor of Delta because he stood out as the governorship candidate with the highest investment located inside the state.

He stressed that he would bring his wealth of knowledge and experience as an entrepreneur to bear on the job and transform the state into Nigeria’s industrial hub with positive implication for job and wealth creation especially for the youths and unemployed graduates.

“Requisite knowledge and capability is very crucial in achieving the standard of governance and development through revamping of the moribund and new industries and all the vital sectors we are talking about”, Gbagi pointed out, saying he holds the comparatives advantage in that regard, compared to other aspirants, as his track record as a minister were there for all to see.

Fielding questions from newsmen, the lawyer and criminologist said: “If you truly want your industries to be revamped – which I can do – I am the man to vote into office. If you truly want your schools to be revived and your teachers paid salaries promptly, I am the man to vote for.

“If you want your hospitals to have medical equipment, materials and medicines to dispense, I am the man to vote for. If you want me to remove all the issue of pensioners who are dying every day without their pensions and gratuity being paid to them, I am the man to vote for.

“If you want transparency, to see how your government is run, how transparent it is, Kenneth Gbagi is the man to vote for.

“The issue of industry, give me one year and come and interview me again like this and let me take you through what I have done.

“This state is the richest state in Africa, richer than over 34 countries in the world. I believe that with all that is available over here, I will turn this state to glory.

“The election we are going to hold in 2023 is not on the basis of structure. It is an election where you are supposed to pick somebody that you believe can guarantee the future of your children, children yet unborn and the State.

“Among all of us who have been thrown up as governorship candidates, the choice is yours. If you want to pick somebody who will deaden the State than we already have, is your business.

“If you want the state to develop, get your salary as at when due and you finish pension and you get your salary, provided you will not complain after May 29, 2023.

“I resolve to work with the youths of the State, pensioners, teachers, doctors and any and everybody that mean well for Delta State.

“I am the only one who have served this nation at a cabinet level as a minister of the federal republic of Nigeria, what has any of them done compared to what I have done?”

While pledging his loyalty to the presidential candidate of the SDP in 2023 because he from Southern Nigeria, Gbagi lamented the decision of the Delta State governor to impose a governorship candidate on the PDP.

“Governor Okowa is a brother and he will remain a brother but on principle, Okowa cannot use me to do anything. Nobody in this world and he knows cannot  use me to do anything in this world except God. In fact, one of the reasons why Okowa, after seven years of agreement decided to do what he is doing now and I am still watching him, is that they said I cannot be controlled.

“How can you control me? What am I looking for that you want to control me? To do what? In this world nothing can buy my conscience, nothing can change my mind and not the likes of Okowa.

“E. K. Clark, as you know, is my father, the only difference is that he is not my biological father but in all sense of the word, he is my father. I am a Southerner, I support and I ask all southerners to support the south.”

On why he left the PDP, Gbagi said: “I am too wise, too senior a politician and as a lawyer to be stupid. I went there on my merit and as a lone ranger, I don’t have anybody to support me. I don’t have any godfather but my documents, my personality, my finances spoke for me and I turned out to be number one from that process.

That was when the DC-23 dissolved that process. So, we came to a political arrangement, the Electoral Act was very clear, what should be done and what should not be done. I believed I complied legally with the tenants of the electoral act, I believed that I did what was right, I believe that my statement as to not to participate, I believe that I considered what it was, that was why I left and that is why I am legally in position to have gone to SDP.”

So, what you should be saying rather, is to thank me for my smartness because if I was not to be smart, they would have caught me in that web of people who went into an election, you know you walked into your trap but I walked out of the trap and I am a free man.

“If you truly want your industries to be revamped which I can do, I am the man to vote for. If you truly want your schools to be revived and your teachers paid salaries promptly, I am the man to vote for.

“If you want your hospitals to have medical equipment, materials and medicines to dispense, I am the man to vote for. If you want me to remove all these pensioners who are dying without their pensions and gratuity been paid to them every day, I am the man to vote for.

“If you want transparency, to see how your government is ran, how transparent it is, I am the man to vote for

“The issue of industry, give me one year and come and interview me again like this and let me take you through what I have done. This State is the richest state in Africa, richer than over 34 countries in the world. I believe that with all that is available over here, I will turn this State to glory.