UNTIL the metamorphosis of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) last month, the latter never saw anything good and reassuring in his almost two years in office. The governor, his former party, PDP, and the APC were at daggers drawn practically over any policy or action the Oborevwori government took.

The APC took joy in pounding him from all corners.

Bombardment

 The APC’s Publicity Secretary, Valentine Onojeghuo, expressed disappointment over what his party described as the deteriorating state of infrastructure, governance, and social welfare in the state in a statement early this year.

The party noted that the state, under Oborevwori’s leadership, had witnessed a dramatic stalling of key projects, failure to deliver on crucial promises, and a general lack of the expected vision for sustainable progress despite receiving a mind-boggling federal allocation.

The statement read in part, “Deltans have been left in despair as their hopes for a better future continue to fade and now look like a distant mirage.

“The Delta APC notes that one of the key areas of concern includes infrastructure decay. “Presently, the state’s roads, especially in rural areas, are in deplorable condition as promises of road reconstruction and maintenance remain unfulfilled, leaving residents to contend with the daily struggle of impassable roads that hinder economic activities and the mobility of citizens.

“Furthermore, the education sector is in crisis as the educational institutions in the state are grappling with outdated facilities and a lack of support.

“The failure of the administration of Governor Oborevwori to invest adequately in schools and teachers is pushing the education sector into further decline, robbing our children of the quality education they rightly deserve.

“The health sector suffers from abject neglect; despite numerous promises to improve healthcare, our hospitals and clinics continue to suffer from inadequate staffing, poor facilities, and a lack of essential drugs and equipment.

“The lives of ordinary Deltans are now at risk, yet the Oborevwori administration has shown little or no interest in prioritizing this fundamental area.

“It is becoming clear to the people of Delta State that grand promises made by Governor Oborevwori during the campaigns are now gone with the wind, as so far, there has been little to show for them. 

“From job creation to improving security, the current administration has failed to live up to its commitments, leaving many wondering if there was nothing more than empty rhetoric.

April 30, also said, “We wish to categorically state that with his entry into the APC, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori assumes the position of the leader of the party in Delta State. This position is not subject to debate or contention.”

Referencing the Vice President Kashim Shettima’s remarks at the defection ceremony as affirmation of the governor’s new status, which, it said, was “authoritative, binding and final,” he said, “Delta APC finds it strange, arrogant and reprehensible for any individual to continue to arrogate or to parade himself as the leader of the Party in Delta State in clear opposition to the present reality.

“Anyone who seeks to undermine this position… will face severe sanctions from the party”.

‘It was all propaganda’

Speaking to Sunday Vanguard, a former Publicity Secretary of the PDP in Delta State, Chief Sunday Apah, said the development showed “all that they (APC) were doing was propaganda to score popularity.

Apah went on: “They were aware that the scorecard of Governor Oborevwori is huge; it is something that nobody can contend with.

“You see, since the defection, they have all been singing a new tune, which is that Governor Oborevwori is a good man, he is the best governor. We knew that what they were doing was just propaganda.”

Criticisms made Oborevwori do more –Ahon, CPS

 Chief Press Secretary to Oborevwori, Sir Festus Ahon, however, noted, “There is no permanent friend, no permanent enemy in politics. What is permanent is interest. 

“Today, we are one in one political family under the platform of the APC, led by His Excellency, Rt. Hon Sheriff Oborevwori, the Governor of Delta State.

“We are united because we want to build enduring legacies for our people. We want our people to feel the impact of democracy.

 ”Our decision to align with the government at the centre under the platform of the APC was for the collective interest of our people.

 ”While they criticized us in the past, we did not take offence. “We saw such criticism as a call for us to look inwards and improve on what we were doing for Deltans.

“We were not dissuaded by the criticisms, rather, we were strengthened by the criticisms because we are determined to govern and bring the dividends of democracy to the doorstep of every Deltan.

 ”So, today, we are in one political family, devoid of tendencies or faction, and we expect that more dividends will come to our people. We will build enduring legacy projects for our people”. 

[Vanguard]