{"id":23145,"date":"2019-10-09T20:02:59","date_gmt":"2019-10-09T20:02:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/?p=23145"},"modified":"2019-10-09T20:10:53","modified_gmt":"2019-10-09T20:10:53","slug":"2023-seems-the-appropriate-time-for-gbagi-in-delta-by-prof-haalim-uche","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/?p=23145","title":{"rendered":"2023 seems the appropriate time for Gbagi in Delta    By Prof Haalim Uche"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.alternativeadvert.com\/show.php?z=30&amp;pl=19231&amp;ad_type=81&amp;rl=1800\" width=\"336\" height=\"280\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div dir=\"auto\">\u00a0I must make a quick confession , I was one of \u00a0those that held the notion that ahead 2023, \u00a0former Minister of State for Education and highest indigenous investor in Delta State, \u00a0Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi, hit the road rather early on his \u00a0mission to govern \u00a0the oil-rich state.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">\u00a0I am sure many are with me in this conception, \u00a0but last Thursday, October 3, at the \u00a0Mosogar in Ethiope-West Local Government Area country home of one of the pillars of Urhobo politics, Senator Ighoyota Amori, where he went to consult Odidimadi, as many know Amori and his political family, it became palpable that it was a politically- shrewd calculation.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">\u00a0Urhobo leader and legal icon, Elegbete (Barrister) Moses Odibo, \u00a0Chief Anthony Akpomiemie former House of Representatives member, \u00a0Ethiope East and West, Hon Lovett \u00a0Idisi, Commissioner Chris Onogba, Commissioner Joyce Overah, chair, Delta State School of Health Technology, Ofuoma, Dr. Chris Oharisi and Princess Philo Ededey were on ground to receive Olorogun Gbagi with their national leader.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">\u00a0Veteran politicians, who know the gradations of the game, collectively described his early start as a masterstroke for Delta Central Senatorial district (Urhobo).\u00a0 They all said it was it was vintage Gbagi.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">\u00a0Why I started early \u2013 Gbagi<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">\u00a0Eldest politician from Ughelli South local government area, Chief D A Obofukoro, Chief Eddie Sorhue, Dr. Nelson Ejakpovi and former Ughelli South chair, Rev Matthew Akporayen accompanied Gbagi, a criminologist, lawyer and entrepreneur during the visit.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">Also in the formidable team from across the three senatorial districts were Mr. Monday Ossai, Chief Thompson Ovwere, Chief Okiemute Oviri-Okwagbe, Dr Mrs Efe Oyibo, Princess Doris Ejinyere, Elder Solomon Ala, Chief Love Okoro, Chief David Uhawha, Mr Francis Obule and Hon Edjoghene Onoseme.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">\u00a0Explaining the reason for his visit, Gbagi said, \u00a0\u201cOur governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa has performed tremendously well and I came to consult you and your political family that I should be supported to take over from him to continue his good works from where he (Okowa) will stop in 2023.\u201d<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">\u00a0He indicated that it was not too early for him to start the 2023 race, as some people had insinuated. His reasons: \u00a0\u201cIt was Abraham Lincoln that said \u2018Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four hours sharpening the axe,\u2019 which is what I have elected to do.\u201d<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">\u00a0\u201cAlso, like Bobby Knight, who said \u2018I don\u2019t believe in luck, I believe in preparation,\u2019 I (Gbagi) don\u2019t wait for luck, I am an entrepreneur, I prepare for and wait for things to happen, therefore, I am doing my homework,\u201d he added.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">\u00a0Amori asked me to be gov over two decades ago<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">According to him, \u201cSo many years ago during the regime of former Head of State, late General Sani Abacha , you (Odidimadi) came to tell me that \u00a0you want me to be the governor of Delta state. That statement had kept haunting me though I rejected the call at the time.\u201d<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">\u00a0\u201cIndeed, I was bidding my time all these years, but today, I \u00a0have come to tell you that the instruction, the call you made during the Abacha government, I have come to claim it, now is the time, I am ready for it,\u201d he asserted.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><strong>\u00a0He said that among the gladiators in Urhobo politics, he is better qualified and prepared to give the state a focused leadership, adding, \u201cI know that some people are being paid to come out and vie just to cause distraction, but nobody will say this man (Gbagi) is a thief or a swindler.\u201d<\/strong><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">\u00a0He emphasized that he was in the race not just to contest the primary but win the governorship race in 2023 and sought the support and prayers of Amori, his political family and Urhobos generally, as he continues with his consultations round the state.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.alternativeadvert.com\/show.php?z=30&amp;pl=19231&amp;ad_type=81&amp;rl=1800\" width=\"336\" height=\"280\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div dir=\"auto\">\u00a0It is true I lobbied him to be gov \u2013 Amori<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">Noting that the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship ticket for 2023 was already \u201csigned, sealed and delivered\u201d to Urhobo, Senator Amori said the end of one election marks the beginning of another election. He asserted that Gbagi helped the Urhobo ethnic nationality by starting early, as that would it loud and clear to others that Urhobo was ready and would not comprise its 2023 ticket.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">\u00a0Amori said, \u201cA lot of people know of the personal relationship I have with Gbagi, he worked very hard and got rich very early and was also introduced to power and powerful people early in his life. He moved with military governors and I worked for military governors and men of power through him.\u201d<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">\u00a0Confirming Gbagi\u2019s claim that he urged him to be governor in the past, he said: \u201cIt is true that when it was time for civilian rule, I actually told him to contest for governor, even before I mentioned it to any other person because he has all the qualities needed to be governor.\u201d<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">\u00a0You are a courageous man, says Odibo<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">Elegbete Odibo said the issue on ground was how prepared Urhobos were for 2023, saying, \u201cIt is the turn of Urhobo to produce the next governor in 2023, no Urhobo man contested with Governor Ifeanyi Okowa in 2019 on the understanding that it is our turn in 2023.\u201d<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">\u00a0\u201cAbout a month ago, former governor of the state, Chief James Ibori called us and said we have to redeem the promise we made to our people \u00a0that in 2023, the governor of Delta state will be an Urhobo.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">\u00a0\u201cToday, we are doing the Mosogar Declaration on behalf of the Urhobo nation. We thank Olorogun Gbagi for starting at this stage, in spite of the little problem with the road, we are happy with the people that you came with across Delta state. You are a brave man, you are blazing the trail,\u201d Odibo said.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">\u00a0Akpomiemie, Overah, Idisi, Oharisi say its Gbagi time<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">Chief Anthony Akpomiemie said that all the communities in Ethiope West would support Gbagi\u2019s ambition.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">\u00a0On his part, Commissioner Joyce for \u00a0Overah said the Almighty has clearly ordained that Gbagi\u2019s turn to govern Delta has come and he was happy that he came to brainstorm with their leader, Amori. He said that he visited the industrialist while he was Minister of State for Education and he gave him a warm welcome.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">\u00a0Also testifying, Hon Loveth Idisi representing Ethiope East said with his zero tolerance to kidnapping and industrialization vision, he, no doubt, has the potential to be a good governor.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">\u00a0Olorogun Chris Oharisi said he led Amori Associates from Ughelli North to the meeting and at the appropriate time, their leader, Amori, would direct them on what to do.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">\u00a0Culmination<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">\u00a0The climax of the occasion was the traditional blessings and prayers by Chief Samuel Okoro, (the Ezomo of Jesse Kingdom), who entreated God to confirm Gbagi as the next governor of the state, saying, that those who did not want him to be governor should continue sleeping until he mounts the saddle.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">\u00a0Okowa doing well, Urhobo should support him<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">After consulting with Amori, the former Minister of State (Education), who had visited other Urhobo politicians, weekend, visited political big wigs of Udu at the country home of Chief Eddie Onosorhue. He told the political leaders that he had what it takes to industrialize the state, adding that if he achieved the much he had done with personal resources, he would far more what state resources.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">\u00a0He described Governor Okowa as a detribalized Deltan, who has reinvigorated his desire to develop the state, urging Udu and other Urbobo leaders to support the governor in his quest to build a stronger Delta.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">\u00a0Gbagi was also at the Sapele home of the state Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, chair, Chief (Barr), Kingsley Esiso, on Sunday, where he told the party leader that he has all the qualities of a governor and was \u00a0ready to continue the excellent work Okowa was doing the state.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">Prof Haalim Uche, a political analyst wrote in from Asaba<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.alternativeadvert.com\/show.php?z=30&amp;pl=19231&amp;ad_type=81&amp;rl=1800\" width=\"336\" height=\"280\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u00a0I must make a quick confession , I was one of \u00a0those that held the notion that ahead 2023, \u00a0former Minister of State for Education and highest indigenous investor in Delta State, \u00a0Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi, hit the road rather early on his \u00a0mission to govern \u00a0the oil-rich state. \u00a0I am sure many are with me [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":23146,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"spay_email":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false},"categories":[6],"tags":[5258],"class_list":["post-23145","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics","tag-kenneth-gbagi"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/10154325_486026654873213_643683851500965640_n.jpg","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4oswh-61j","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23145","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=23145"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23145\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23148,"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23145\/revisions\/23148"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/23146"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=23145"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=23145"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=23145"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}