The Executive Assistant to the Delta State Governor on Public Enlightenment (Projects and Policies), Mr Olisa Ifeajika, has expressed confidence that Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s performance in office will secure his re-election in 2027.
Ifeajika said the achievements recorded by the Oborevwori administration since assuming office in 2023 constituted the strongest basis for Deltans to support the governor for a second term.
He stated this while appearing on Politics HQ, a programme on News Central Television monitored in Asaba.
Ifeajika said his support for Oborevwori went beyond partisan loyalty, stressing that the governor’s performance across the state was visible to residents irrespective of their political affiliations.
“The governor of this state, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, is my project in the forthcoming general elections because we want to return him as our governor; not just because he is our party man, but because of the work he is doing in Delta,” he said.
‘Tinubu Support Not in Conflict With Oborevwori’s Ambition’
Ifeajika also clarified reports concerning Oborevwori’s declaration that his political project was to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election.
He said there was no contradiction between the governor seeking a second term in Delta and supporting Tinubu at the federal level.
According to him, Oborevwori’s membership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) naturally places him in support of the party’s presidential candidate.
“He is an APC man, so he will talk about the President of Nigeria, who is of the same party with him, being re-elected. That was what he meant when he said his project is to ensure that Bola Tinubu is re-elected as President of Nigeria,” Ifeajika stated.
‘Oborevwori’s Performance Speaks for Him’
Ifeajika said the APC’s strategy ahead of the 2027 election would largely centre on presenting the achievements of the Oborevwori administration to the electorate and allowing the governor’s record to speak for itself.
“The performance of our governor speaks for itself. Everybody is applauding what the man is doing in the state,” he said.
“He’s a good product that is selling itself.”
He further argued that Oborevwori’s performance would have given him an electoral advantage even if he were not contesting under the APC platform.
“Even if we were not in the APC, for instance, we would have still won the election because our governor is a performing governor acknowledged by everybody in the state irrespective of political affiliation,” he said.
Ifeajika Defends Tinubu’s Economic Reforms
The governor’s aide also defended President Tinubu’s removal of fuel subsidy, describing the country’s economic challenges as part of a difficult but necessary process towards recovery.
He likened the process to farming, where clearing the land, planting and weeding must take place before harvesting.
“What we are going through in this country now is like a farmer. To farm, you first clear the bush before planting, weeding and, eventually, harvesting. It takes a process!” he said.
Ifeajika argued that the previous subsidy regime had placed significant financial pressure on the country, saying Nigeria had at some point borrowed money to finance fuel subsidies.
“In this country, we knew that at some point Nigeria was borrowing money to pay for subsidy. Not the money we earned; we were borrowing money to pay for subsidy. That was so irregular,” he said.
He also cited challenges previously faced by some state governments in paying workers’ salaries and pensions, arguing that the situation had improved.
He said the focus should now be on how states deploy available resources to ensure that the benefits of government reach citizens, particularly those at the lower end of the economic ladder.
“The issue is how the states are deploying the funds available to them to make sure that the people at the lower rungs of the society feel the impact,” he said.
‘Economic Recovery Takes Time’
Ifeajika acknowledged that Nigerians were facing economic difficulties but maintained that recovery could not be achieved overnight.
He urged citizens to see the current situation as part of a gradual economic reform process, saying the benefits of such measures would take time to become fully evident.
On the 2027 elections, he said the APC in Delta State would focus on its candidates’ records, effective communication of government policies and projects, and the impact of the administration’s programmes on residents.
Ifeajika maintained that Oborevwori’s achievements had strengthened the relationship between the state government and the people.
“Delta State is one place that the political party we are in as a ruling party is almost synonymous with the people. The works of the governor have been able to take the people to accept that this is the way to go, that the man feels for them and feels the right thing for the people,” he said.
