Oluwayemi Davidson, Warri
With the introduction of Biomodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has broken the backbone of election riggers in Nigeria, popular politician, Chief Great Ovedje Ogboru has said.
Ogboru, the Delta State Governorship candidate of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) made the assertion on Friday while flagging off his election campaign at Oleh Community Recreation Centre in Isoko South Local Government Area of the State.
He noted with concern that election rigging had thrived for several decades in Nigeria with many politicians who were not supposed to hold positions of authority erroneously imposed on the society.
“But with the introduction of BVAS by INEC, a new lease of life has come to Nigerian electorates because if any politician wants to rig, BVAS will not agree. This time around, INEC has broken the backbone of election riggers in the country”, he stated.
Ogboru who first contested for the position of Governor of Delta State twenty-four years ago, told the gathering that his dream and vision for a great Delta State has continued to propel him to vie for the Governorship.
He lamented the level of socioenonomic retrogression of the State submitting that “Delta State is a high profile State and we need a high profile Governor to put us where we deserved to be”.
Ogboru told the gathering that he had been rigged out of all the previous Governorship elections in Delta State since 1999, but expressed confidence that with the massive support he enjoys coupled with the introduction of BVAS by INEC, he will surely emerge the winner in the March 2023 polls in the State.
Ogboru then assured the electorate that, when elected, he will “change the narratives of Delta State positively, to the extent that the people of Delta will now live like human being, as they actually deserved”.
He said, “In no distant future, when APGA gets into the saddle of governance, Delta State will not be the same again. There will be gainful employment, quality education, and we will create enabling environment for all to halt armed robbery, kidnapping and such other negative trends in the society.
Speaking specifically on the education programme of his party, Chief Ogboru told the gathering that education would be made free and functional at the primary and secondary levels noting that “monies being siphoned by the subsequent governments were more than enough to fund free education in the State”.
Education, according to him, is a human right hence “APGA shall promote inclusive and quality education for all, as well as life long learning opportunities”.
Speaking earlier, the Delta State Chairman of APGA, Hon. Afamefune Enemokwu remarked that Chief Ogboru’s candidature has divine undertone adding that “none of all other candidates contesting for governorship in Delta State could match Ogboru in terms of exposure, character or integrity”.
He stated further that by the time APGA wins at the forthcoming polls, the fate of Deltans will change for the better.
Others who addressed the rally included Prince Emmanuel Okotie-Eboh, Chairman of the Delta APGA Governorship Campaign Council; Madam Margaret Oyibu, the party’s Woman Leader; Hon. Silas Duowe, APGA candidate for the Isoko Federal Constituency as well as Hon. George Timinimi, Delta South Senatorial candidate and Peters Omaruaye, Delta Central Senatorial candidate.
They all enjoined the party supporters to guard their PVC jealously and vote massively for APGA at the polls to ensure the deserved positive change in the State.