Former Deputy Senate President, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, and Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, have engaged in a heated exchange over the state’s finances and governance, with both trading accusations of mismanagement and misplaced priorities.
Omo-Agege while speaking at an APC event in Oghara, Ethiope West Local Government Area, had criticized Governor Oborevwori for failing to deliver meaningful development despite receiving over N900 billion in federal allocations and internally generated revenue over the past year and a half.
He said, “Since assuming office, Governor Oborevwori has accessed over N900 billion, primarily due to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s economic reforms, including the removal of fuel subsidies and naira flotation. Yet, Delta State has little to show apart from the Effurun flyover.”
He accused the state government of prioritizing debt servicing and political patronage over the welfare of the people.
“Internal roads remain in deplorable conditions, and instead of channeling resources into impactful projects, funds are being used to settle debts and satisfy political godfathers. This is unacceptable,” he added.
Omo-Agege also lamented what he described as decades of misrule by PDP-led administrations in the state, claiming Delta has not experienced serious governance since Chief James Ibori left office in 2003. He alleged that former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa wasted resources on a failed vice-presidential campaign, while Oborevwori has continued the trend of mismanagement.
Assuring Deltans of a brighter future under the APC, Omo-Agege declared, “We are building a coalition to reclaim Delta. Hon. Erhiatake Ibori-Suenu’s defection and that of other PDP leaders symbolize the growing discontent with the current administration. Together, we will deliver transformative leadership in 2027.”
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However, in a swift response, Governor Oborevwori dismissed Omo-Agege’s claims, accusing the former Deputy Senate President of failing to understand the economic challenges faced by states under President Tinubu’s administration.
Oborevwori in a statement issued by his Executive Assistant on New Media, Mr. Felix Ofou stated, “Can we really talk of increased money in any state in Nigeria? What is the worth of such money in the face of galloping inflation, gross devaluation of the Naira, unparalleled hunger, mass poverty, and mass unemployment?”
The governor criticized Tinubu’s economic policies, arguing that they have caused unprecedented hardship for Nigerians.
“Both the World Bank and the IMF have rightly stated that Tinubu’s economic policies are not working. They have transformed Nigeria into the poverty capital of the world, with over 130 million people living below the poverty mark,” he said.
Oborevwori questioned why Omo-Agege would recommend such policies for Delta State, describing them as a recipe for further suffering.
“Why would anyone recommend APC’s T-pain as a remedy to our woes? This is not a path desirable for Deltans,” he added.
The governor defended his administration, emphasizing that the economic challenges were national and not peculiar to Delta State. He accused Omo-Agege of political grandstanding, stating, “This is not about sound governance but an attempt to score cheap political points ahead of the 2027 elections.”
The recent altercation has rekindled the growing political rivalry between the two leaders, and their political parties which played out during the 2023 electioneering period.
