Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, has threatened to blacklist contractors handling government projects in the state over delays, warning that political friendship and personal relationships will not protect firms that fail to deliver their assignments.
The governor said his administration had provided contractors with mobilisation funds and made payments for completed work, questioning why some projects remained unfinished. He gave contractors until the first quarter of 2027 to complete a particular delayed road project, warning that the contract would be revoked and reassigned if the deadline was missed.
Oborevwori spoke on Monday, November 3, 2026, during a reception organised by the Isoko Development Union (IDU) in his honour at the union’s headquarters in Oleh, Isoko South Local Government Area. The event, which also celebrated his wife, Deaconess Tobore Oborevwori, as an Isoko daughter, was attended by traditional rulers, political leaders and other stakeholders.
Key Highlights
- Oborevwori warns that contractors delaying government projects risk being blacklisted in Delta State.
- Governor threatens to revoke a delayed road contract if the contractor fails to deliver by the first quarter of 2027.
- He says his administration pays contractors promptly and has provided mobilisation funds.
- Oborevwori insists that political friendship will not shield contractors who fail to perform.
- The governor says the dry season is critical to completing ongoing projects before the end of his first tenure.
- His reception by the IDU attracts criticism from some Isoko residents over alleged political partisanship.
- The governor promises to address electricity challenges and other demands raised by the Isoko people.
Oborevwori: No Friendship Will Protect Non-Performing Contractors
The governor’s strongest message at the event was directed at contractors handling projects across Delta State.
He said his administration had fulfilled its financial obligations to contractors and expected them to reciprocate by completing projects within agreed timelines.
“Very soon, some contractors will be blacklisted in this state because we don’t owe contractors. We give mobilisation. What is the delay?” Oborevwori said.
He added that payments were made according to the value of work certified, insisting that his government did not deliberately withhold contractors’ entitlements.
“Your certificate cannot do two weeks. We always pay. We don’t share payment. If you have payment for 5 million, we pay you. If you have for 2 billion, we pay you. If you have just 10 billion, we pay. What is holding it?” he asked.
The governor warned that personal relationships would not influence his decisions on contractors who failed to perform.
“I don’t play politics with friendship. No, whether you are my friend, whether you know me, whether you are my brother anywhere, when it comes to governance, like I have said it, I don’t have a friend,” he declared.
The warning raises the prospect of sanctions against construction firms that fail to meet their contractual obligations, although the governor did not name any contractor or disclose a list of companies facing blacklisting.
Delayed Road Project Faces Revocation
Oborevwori also singled out a delayed road project, warning that the contractor would lose the contract if the work was not completed within the first quarter of 2027.
He said the administration had given the contractor additional time to deliver the project and expected work to progress during the dry season.
The governor stated that the coming months were particularly important to his administration because they represented the final stretch of its first tenure.
“This dry season is very key to my administration, which is the last lap of this first tenure. Must have things to show. Let all contractors move to site, the ones that they are awarded, the ones that are ongoing,” he said.
He further warned that he would personally monitor projects during his movements across the state rather than rely solely on reports from officials.
The governor’s comments suggest that his administration intends to intensify pressure on contractors to complete outstanding projects before the next rainy season.
Governor Lists Projects in Isoko Nation
Defending his administration’s record, Oborevwori said his government had distributed projects across Delta State and maintained an inclusive approach to governance since assuming office in May 2023.
He listed road construction, healthcare and education projects among the interventions carried out in Isoko communities.
The governor said the Emevor-Orogun road project had progressed, with Phase Two completed and plans to commence another phase.
He also disclosed that 15 bridges along the Trans-Warri Road had been completed and were awaiting commissioning.
Oborevwori said his administration had undertaken renovations and upgrades in the health and education sectors, while completing inherited projects and initiating new ones.
He argued that the projects provided his administration with a record to present to residents during the forthcoming election campaign.
“I can walk round the state, the 25 local government to go and campaign. I have instruments to campaign. I have what to show. Report card,” he said.
Oborevwori Addresses Isoko Electricity Concerns
The governor also responded to concerns about electricity supply in Isoko communities, acknowledging the challenges associated with power distribution.
He said the state government was making arrangements to improve electricity supply and had prepared legislation to support its plans.
Oborevwori disclosed that the government was also working to address the problem of vandalism affecting the electricity transmission line from Ughelli to Ozoro.
He said repairs were ongoing and expressed confidence that the intervention would improve supply to affected communities.
The governor’s response followed complaints from some residents about persistent power outages in Isoko communities.
Isoko Reception Sparks Political Controversy
The reception organised by the IDU was presented as a celebration of the governor’s connection to Isoko Nation through his marriage to an Isoko woman.
The IDU President-General, Professor Chris Akpotu, led the reception, which attracted traditional rulers, clergy, political leaders, council chairmen, women leaders and supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Several political stakeholders praised Oborevwori’s administration and expressed support for his leadership.
However, the event also generated criticism from some residents and activists who questioned whether the IDU leadership had secured broad agreement from the Isoko people before presenting the reception as an event organised by the entire nation.
Some social media users questioned the governor’s achievements in Isoko communities, raising concerns about electricity supply and the relocation of some university departments from Ozoro.
Activist Comrade Steven Luke also issued a statement titled “Isoko Nation Has Not Welcomed Any Son-in-Law; It Is the IDU Body and Its Kangaroo Executives.”
In the statement, Luke alleged that the IDU leadership under Professor Akpotu was turning a cultural institution into an instrument of the APC without obtaining a broad consensus among Isoko people.
The allegations reflect opposition to the manner in which the reception was organised. The available account does not establish whether the IDU conducted a wider consultation before the event.
Reception Doubles as Build-Up to APC Campaign Flag-Off
The political significance of the gathering was reinforced by the planned APC campaign flag-off scheduled to take place in Oleh on Wednesday, November 5, 2026.
At a meeting of the party’s Central Campaign Council in Asaba on November 2, the Director-General of the Delta APC Campaign Council, Senator James Manager, disclosed that the Isoko reception had been deliberately scheduled ahead of the campaign launch.
Manager said the campaign would focus on issue-based engagement, highlighting what the APC government had achieved, what it was doing and what it intended to accomplish.
During his remarks, Oborevwori acknowledged the support of Isoko political leaders and traditional rulers, while urging residents to translate their endorsement into votes for President Bola Tinubu, himself and other APC candidates.
He also announced that he would return to Oleh on November 5 for the campaign flag-off.
Isoko Stakeholders Present Development Demands
Beyond the political endorsements, the gathering provided an opportunity for community representatives to raise development concerns.
Among the issues mentioned were electricity supply, the Uzere oil spill remediation, road infrastructure, healthcare and the state of educational facilities in Ozoro.
The governor said he had directed the Commissioner for Health to provide medical support to communities affected by the Heritage Energy oil spill at Uzere in Isoko South.
He also assured residents that his administration would continue to address their requests, including the electricity challenge.
The reception therefore ended with two important issues before the state government: the demand for improved development in Isoko communities and the governor’s warning that contractors must deliver projects within agreed timelines or face sanctions.
For contractors handling public projects in Delta State, the message was direct. Oborevwori says mobilisation and payments have been provided, and firms that fail to justify the government’s investment could lose their contracts and face blacklisting.
