2023 Elections: Why I Visited James Ibori – Delta YPP Guber Candidate Spills

The governorship candidate of the Young Progressive Party (YPP) in Delta State, Sunny Ofehe, has revealed the reason behind his meeting with the former governor of the state, James Ibori.

Naija News learnt that the governorship hopeful met with Ibori during the weekend at his community in Oghara.

Reports later emerged claiming that Ofehe had met the former state leader to seek his endorsement in the coming 2023 general elections.

Sharing details of the closed-door meeting with the elder statesman, Ofehe debunked rumoured reports that he met Ibori purposely to get him to endorse his candidacy.

He explained that the agenda of his meeting was to appeal to the former governor to ensure a level playing ground for all candidates in governorship polls come March 11, 2023.

“While addressing Ibori, I urged him to use his contact to ensure a level playing field for all the governorship candidates to showcase themselves and what they have to offer Delta State in the build up to the March 11 governorship election in the state.

“I told Ibori, our leader, that there is no place in the world where four seaports within a radius of 110km from each other and yet the state is not benefiting from it,” The PUNCH quoted Ofehe as saying.

The YPP governorship candidate stressed that the oil-rich state has what it takes to compete with Europe’s largest seaport, Rotterdam and even become the global hub of maritime activities.

2023: Ibori, Okowa’s Loyalists Dump PDP For APC In Delta

Meanwhile, the Delta State governorship candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), Ovie Omo-Agege, has received some party leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who defected to the APC in the state.

Naija News learnt that the defectors said to be under the aegis of Delta Unity Group (DUG), are loyalists of the former Delta State Governor James Ibori.

The former PDP loyalists claimed that they dumped the party because of the alleged non-performance of the incumbent state governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, who is the vice presidential candidate of the PDP. According to them, they decamped to the APC in other to punish Okowa and the party ahead of the forthcoming general election.

Omo-Agege received the new members into the APC during his campaign at St. George’s College in the Obinomba community, Ukwuani Local Government Area of Delta North in the area.

Among the said Ibori loyalists who defected to the APC at the campaign rally were a former Commissioner and three-time former member, of the House of Representatives, Mercy Isei, member of the PDP Board of Trustees and former Commissioner, Chief Judith Enamuotor, three-time member, House of Representatives, Daniel Reyenieju, former Speaker, Delta State House of Assembly, Monday Igbuya, former Speaker, DTHA and former member, House of Representatives, Olisa Imegwu, former Commissioner and former member, DTHA, Timi Tonye, former Commissioner and former member, DTHA, Evans Iwurie, and a former chairman, Ethiope East LGA, Faith Majemite.

Others are the former Executive Secretary, of Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, former Special Adviser to Governor Okowa, Andy Osavwota, and former Commissioner for Urban Renewal, Youth Development, Dr Karo Ilolo.