By Tony Okoh
Governor Sheriff Oborevwori versus Obaisi Ovie Omo Agege is an intriguing narrative- the struggle between reality and illusion.
Since the triumph of Oborevwori in the March 18, 2023, Delta governorship election, Omo Agege has been asking for the impossible. He wants the moon!
It is a laughable longing.
Heavy facts mock Omo Agege’s fantasy. Oborevwori won fair and square in 21 out of 25 local government areas in Delta, under the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Aniocha North, Aniocha South, Oshimili North, Oshimili South, Ika North East, Ika South, Ndokwa East, Ndokwa West, Ukwuani, Ethiope West, Ethiope East, Sapele, Okpe, Warri South, Warri North, Warri South West, Bomadi, Patani, Burutu, Isoko South and Isoko North.
Omo Agege of the All Progressives Congress, APC, could only claim 4 local government areas. By plain statistics, the margin of victory was overwhelming.
Oborevwori secured a whopping 360,234 votes to lead Omo Agege who trailed behind with 240,229 votes.120,005 ballots, far apart.
Assailed by defeat, he headed to the courts protesting flawed voting.
A bizarre irony.
The most disturbing irregularities in the Delta governorship polls were recorded in Omo Agege’s local government area – Ughelli North. At Evwreni community, thugs went on rampage, attacked and wounded INEC officials, destroyed over three BVAS machines, and set electoral materials on fire.
The murderous thugs prevented a team of journalists monitoring the elections from entering the community.
Armed hoodlums disrupted voting in several polling units in Orogun, the birthplace of the former deputy senate president.
Five persons reportedly lost their lives on election day at Mosogar and Oghara, both in Ethiope West Local Government Area.
Reports indicated that some security personnel, deployed to the communities compromised, and allegedly supervised the disruption process.
The persons died after an exchange of gunfire between security operatives and angry youths.
This brazen hooliganism manifested in varying intensity in other parts of the state, staged by vile agents of destabilization allegedly acting on the orders of the APC candidate.
This episodic violence all happened in Omo Agege’s constituency as the then senator representing Delta Central senatorial district.
It took the uncommon tenacity of Deltans and supreme will of God to stop and defeat the reactionary anti-democracy forces.
Local and international observers had since documented the tragic electoral occurrences.
Credible debates across Delta and even discussions on the streets invariably assert that Omo Agege did not win the March 18, 2023, gubernatorial elections.They insist that the votes he managed to garner were manufactured through massive rigging and heightened violence, perpetrated by his alleged supporters in desperado fashion.
Majority of the people wished the votes he snatched are annulled, and stiffer measures of prosecution is meted, to save democracy from one man’s famed impunity and terror.
Now guess who is seeking justice!
Where is morality? Where is law and the lawyers? How can the aggressor become the aggrieved? The bully, the bereaved?
While it is better at this time to be circumspect in a matter before the courts, it is safe to conclude that Deltans know who they voted for on Saturday March 18, 2023.
The symbolism is embedded in the hearts of the Urhobo, Anioma, Itsekiri, Ijaw, and Isoko people among others.
The divine lifting of Sheriff Oborevwori is untouchable by grace.