Delta Guber: Omo-Agege Picks Ex-Deputy Speaker, Osanebi as Running Mate

Omon-Julius Onabu in Asaba

Delta State governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, has chosen   former deputy speaker of the state House of assembly, Friday Osanebi, as  the deputy governorship candidate of the party.

Although, since last last year, tongues have been wagging about whether the 41-year old planned defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday’s announcement should lay to rest speculation regarding Osanebi’s conspicuous absence from numerous activities of the state PDP in recent times.

In the statement, Omo-Agege simply said that Osanebi would run with him on the platform of the APC in the 2023 election.

“Consistent with section 187(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and in furtherance of the firm resolve of our great party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta State to provide responsible and balanced leadership to realise our strategic vision to take Delta from extreme bad governance and Build A New Delta (‘BAND’) on the four pillars of Employment and Empowerment, Development, Good Governance and Enduring Peace and Security (‘EDGE’), and after broad consultations with the leadership of our party, stakeholders within and outside the party and diverse interests across our State in a painstaking vetting process, it is my pleasure to announce to our people that The Rt. Honourable Friday Ossai Osanebi is my nominated running mate and the deputy governorship candidate of APC for the 2023 Delta State Governorship election. 

“This momentous decision is for the greater good of all our people and consistent with our unshakeable faith in the immense leadership strengths, innovative energies and resourceful spirit of the youths of this great country,” Omo-Agege said.

The APC standard-bearer described Osanebi as “a vibrant, focused, humble, diligent and upward mobile young leader with vast legislative, business, general public governance and corporate management experience.”

By the appointment, the PDP and the APC have both chosen their respective 2023 deputy governorship candidates from the Ndokwa nation in Delta North senatorial district, with Osanebi being formerly the president of the Ndokwa Youth Council.

Monday Onyeme, who is from Ndokwa West Local Government Area of the state, had earlier been announced as the running mate and deputy candidate to the PDP candidate, Sheriff Oborevwori.

Both Oborevwori and Omo-Agege  hail from Delta Central senatorial district.

Meanwhile, the Delta State Peoples Democratic Party, PDP has set up a peace reconciliation committee to address irreconcilable differences that may tear the party apart before the polls.

Former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Emmanuel Agwariavwodo, is the chairman of the reconciliation committee, which comprises five members each drawn from the three senatorial districts, a statement issued by the state’s publicity secretary, Ifeanyi Osuoza said yesterday.

For example, despite the peaceful nature of the PDP gubernatorial primary election held in Asaba on May 25, 2023, a lot of bad blood has certainly been generated by the exercise especially among the about a dozen partiviparing aspirants and their camps.

One of the aspirants, Kenneth Gbagi, who withdrew from the race on the eve of the exercise, has since quit the PDP and picked the governorship ticket of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) while several cases have been file in court questioning various aspects of the primary election.