From Paul Osuyi, Asaba
Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege, has appealed to aggrieved members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta State to forgive him for the actions he took during the party congresses.
The 2023 governorship aspirant said his actions were in the best interest of the party, to strengthen it and make it formidable, adding that they were not intended to hijack the party structure.
He made the appeal in Owa-Agbor, Ika North-East Local Government Area while being hosted by Ukpe Anioma of APC.
Omo-Agege, who represents Delta Central boasted that the party has more than enough capacity to win elections next year, assuring aggrieved members that they would be carried along as the party moves to unseat the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.
“Please forgive me, l did not mean bad. My actions were to strengthen the party and chase away PDP. When we win, our future is bright.
“Let us come together as a family. Let’s work together. I promise, everybody will be carried along. I am not seeing any hostile people here. You have done a good groundwork,” he said
The senator, who advised the leaders to go to their units and evangelise the party, assured the party is going to throw the primary open, and urged aspirants to meet to look for candidates that could win election.
Omo-Agege said elections can no longer be rigged, lamenting however, that the act of imposition affected the party in 2019 whereby people contested the primary and won, but were substituted.
“Election should not be a do-or-die affair. We condemned imposition. If you are strong and popular, go and contest. If winners emerge in a transparent contest, losers lose freely.
“We have decided to throw it open. There won’t be intervention from the leadership. If you lose, you have opportunity to participate in the government and be accommodated,” he said.
Earlier, National Leader of Ukpe Anioma of APC, Alex Ikpeazu, called for the emergence of a purpose-driven and visionary leadership in Delta State.
To this end, Ikpeazu reiterated the need for residents of Delta to support Omo-Agege’s governorship ambition, saying the aspirant has been assessed by most vibrant socio-political association in Delta North senatorial district, as intelligent, trustworthy and forward-looking candidate to take Delta State to its buoyant destination.
He promised the body would aggressively work for Omo-Agege, and assured him of their resolve to take the campaign to all nooks and crannies of Delta North senatorial district.
“We know with your impressive pedigree in political administration, people and resources management, your administration will drive Delta State growth trajectory on faster momentum.
“With the high level display of humility by the senator at the meeting, all aggrieved party members have resolved to work for the success of the party as we march towards 2023,” lkpeazu said.
Meanwhile, Omo-Agege has appointed former presidential spokesman, Ima Niboro, to lead the communications and media strategy initiative for his campaign organisation.
In a release he personally signed, yesterday, he said the choice of the award winning journalist and former managing director of the News Agency of Nigeria, signals his unshakable commitment to bring on board only the best and brightest to the unfolding campaign organisation.
Omo-Agege said the quest to liberate Delta State from the grip of those who do not wish the state well is urgent and overwhelming. Thus, “we will bring in our best brains, we will put all willing hands on deck, we will lead from the front, and we will win.”
Governorshipl aspirant congratulated Niboro on his appointment, saying: “I have confidence in your capacity, knowledge and experience. Yours is the very first appointment I am making, and it is a signal to the state and country at large that we mean business here.”
Niboro, a fellow of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, was special adviser, Media and Publicity, to former president Goodluck Jonathan and was later appointed managing director, News Agency of Nigeria in 2014.
Before then, he was senior special assistant to the president, media and publicity (office of the vice president).
Niboro holds a Master’s Degree in International Relations and Strategic Studies from Lagos State University, a post-graduate diploma in Journalism from the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, and a first degree in English Studies from the University of Port Harcourt.