Former Minister of State for Education, Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi, has described last week’s governorship primary of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) as a charade, vowing to challenge its outcome in court.
The governorship aspirant who withdrew from the exercise a few hours before the event in Asaba said the conduct of the primary fell short of the new Electoral Act.
Speaking to journalists at Oginibo, Ughelli South Local Government Area of the state on Saturday, the criminologist stated that he would succeed the incumbent Governor Ifeanyi Okowa as governor come 2023.
In essence, the lawyer insisted that as of today, the Delta PDP is without a governorship candidate ahead of next year’s general elections in the state.
Gbagi had withdrawn from the just-concluded PDP governorship primary in which the Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, (DTHA), Sheriff Oborevwori, emerged winner ahead of some technocrats and financial wizards such as Oloorogun David Edevbie who polled 113 votes to emerge a distant second.
Gbagi had also in the letter of withdrawal from the governorship race accused the aide-de-camp to Governor Okowa of putting his life in the line.
While not disclosing under which platform he may eventually realise his dreams, Chief Gbagi reiterated that he would contest the 2023 governorship election in the state.
The industrialist debunked rumours that he had decamped from the PDP shortly after withdrawing from the governorship primary.
“As it is today, PDP has no governorship candidate. There are no primaries in Delta State. In the days ahead of us, you will know. Okowa will hand over power to me by the grace of God next year.
“The primary election ought to have been conducted in guidance of the Electoral Act. That election was a violation of existing law – the Electoral Act. I couldn’t have participated in such a charade.
“Some of the aspirants paid as high as $7,000, $7,500 and $5,000 to delegates which you journalists know. By appropriate sessions of the Electoral Act that conduct alone voided the primaries.
“Secondly, for you to lock people in a house or hotel and give them juju to eat and swear, such action also violates the Electoral Act.
“For anyone to dispossess them of their phones violates the delegates’ liberty and rights. I will contest the 2023 governorship election in Delta State,” he declared, hinting that his team of lawyers are reviewing the process in order to seek redress.
According to him, “as it is today, I’m the beautiful bride in the politics of Delta State. All the political parties are courting me. Even the PDP needs to court me because they don’t have a governorship candidate.
“And by the Electoral Act, all of them, who participated, cannot participate in another party. You can now see the wisdom I did my letter and withdrew in line with the Electoral Act as a lawyer.
“The conduct of the PDP is voided already. You only need to take steps for it to be voided. Forget the Supreme Court case on Bayelsa,” he noted.
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