BY SUNDAY EGEDE
LAST Thursday, March 20, 2025 to be precise, members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ward 8, Uvwie Local Government Area, Delta State, held their ward meeting where they also played host to the Local Government Area (LGA), Executives of the party, who were on visit to the ward in continuation of their ward visitation.
During the meeting which was largely attended by a broad spectrum of different layers of the party including elders, leaders, women and youths, the Uvwie Ward 8 PDP made a very strong statement on their position in relation to the 2027 general elections in the country as they affirmed their unwavering and unflinching support to the state Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori.
At the meeting, they passed a vote of implicit confidence on Governor Oborevwori, even as they endorsed him as sole governorship candidate in the state ahead of the 2027 gubernatorial election.
The vote of confidence and the endorsement of the Governor as sole governorship candidate in the 2027 gubernatorial election was sequel to a motion moved to that effect by Rt. Hon. Glory Utuedor.
The motion which was subsequently seconded by Hon. Jerry Adjeke was unanimously adopted by members of the party when the motion was put to a voice vote by Hon. Chief Solomon Igharakpata during the well-attended meeting.
Speaking at the meeting, the Chairman of Uvwie Local Government Council, Hon. Chief Anthony Ofoni, noted that the Governor had expanded the frontiers of sustainable socio-economic development across the three senatorial districts of the state in less than two years of his administration.
Hon. Ofoni, who applauded members of the party in Ward 8 for their resounding electoral performance in previous elections in the state, urged them to sustain their support for the Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori’s administration, adding that they should remain peaceful and law abiding at all time.
While saying that he was following the full steps of the Governor vis-a-vis the execution of quality and people-oriented projects, he assured the people in the local government area that he will not disappoint them.
In his remarks during the meeting, Hon. Solomon Igharakpata disclosed that Governor Oborevwori meant business for Deltans, adding that Deltans should continue to pray him and support his administration.
“Members of the PDP in the Ward must be united and work together for the progress of the party,” Igharakpata said, even as he assured them that more appointments would come to the ward.
Also speaking, the LAG Chairman of the party, Elder Efe Okoledo lauded members of the party in the ward for their excellent performance in the last election which they won for the party despite all odds.
“We are happy to be in your ward today and we are proud of your outstanding performance in the last election which you won convincingly for the PDP despite all odds.
“We want you to continue in that stead. Our Governor, as you all know, is doing excellently well. He is using the quality projects being executed by his administration to reply critics of his administration.
“We need to give him (Governor Oborevwori) maximum support as he is delivering dividends of democracy to Deltans and residents of the state through the implementation of the MORE Agenda of his administration,” Elder Okoledo said.
He lauded members of the Arewa Community in the ward ably led by Ibrahim Sani for their sustained support to the party over the years, adding that they should continue to support the PDP led administration in the state in its drive to equitably develop the state.
Earlier in his speech, the Chairman of ward eight, Hon. Frank Jefia who doubles as a Special Assistant to the Governor on Youth Mobilisation, said they (members of the party in ward eight) were pleased to welcome the LGA Executive of the party in the local government to their ward.
Hon. Jefia disclosed that ward eight was the home of peace and security as well as the home of the PDP, assuring that the ward will continue to deliver massive votes for the party in future elections as it had always done in the past.
While eulogising the Governor for the phenomenal accomplishments recorded by his administration in all sectors of the state economy, he called on elders and leaders of the party as well as the party’s women and youths wings to continue to support the policies and programmes of the Oborevwori’s administration in the state.
In their separate remarks, Mr. Silva Ofugara, Mrs. Rarute Mgbeke and Mr. Peter Kelubia who paid glowing tributes to the Uvwie Local Government Council Chairman, Hon. Chief Anthony Ofoni and other leaders of the party for attracting meaningful to the area, also, applauded Governor Sheriff Oborevwori for spreading dividends of democracy across the 25 local government areas of the state.
While urging those who have not registered as voters to do so by the time the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) commences registration of voters exercise ahead of the 2027 general elections in the country, the trio of Ofugara, Mgbeke and Kelubia assured that they will continue to vote for the party in future elections in the country, just as they appealed for more appointments for members of the party in the ward.
In an interview with journalists during the ward meeting, one of the leaders of the party in the area, Chief Francis Arhiyor who is an Executive Assistant to the Governor on Transport and the State Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) said Governor Oborevwori had done quite a lot for the people of Uvwie and Deltans in general since his administration came on board on May 29, 2023.
“The governor has been doing very well for us since he came on board on May 29, 2023. For instance, he has brought significant change in Uvwie Local Government Area.
This is the first time that we are enjoying peace in Uvwie Local Government Area as it has never been like this in time past. In fact, last year’s Christmas in Uvwie was very peaceful as there was no recorded incidence of violence or theft in the area,” he said.
On the empowerment of 32 women by the ward which he facilitated, Chief Arhiyor disclosed that the gesture was to complement what the Oborevwori’s administration was doing in the state. He, therefore, urged beneficiaries of the empowerment programme of the party to make judicious use of the money given to them to oxygenate their businesses, pointing out that the gesture would be a continuous exercise in the Ward.
Meanwhile, the Executive Assistant to the Governor appealed to youths in ward eight in particular and the entire Uvwie Local Government Area to always remain peaceful so as to attract more dividends of democracy to the area.
“PDP is Delta and Delta is PDP; so, in the next election, everybody should vote overwhelmingly for the re-election of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and all the PDP candidates,” he said.
One of the highlights of the meeting was the presentation of a cash gift of N50,000 each to 32 women in the Ward to support their businesses by one of the leaders of the party in the ward, Chief Francis Arhiyor.
