IT sometimes assumes the trajectory of a fairy tale when an underdog rises and shines beyond the doubts, expectations and of nay-sayers to etch their name in gold in the polity through dint of hard work, perseverance and a thorough mastery of the socio-political environment and terrain.
The diminutive biblical David was not given an iota of chance by his siblings when he vowed to confront the giant Goliath. What about King Saul? David was on a death mission as far as he was concerned. The naysayers did not realize, failed to appreciate the role of grace in the affairs of man!
In the Cinderella story, the sisters of the central character Cinderella never for one moment imagine that the foot of their despised and repressed sister who was always locked indoors would fit the shoe being advertised by the prince. A fairy god-mother had done the work of grace!
The good book asserts that God will show mercy unto whom He show mercy; God will be gracious unto whom He chooses to be gracious to! The beneficiary of grace may not carry a lamp proclaiming favour. But that spirit lies somewhere.
When then the eloquent and articulate Senator Barack Obama’s named popped up as a possible candidate of the democratic Party in 20??, some naysayers were more concerned about the sound of his name than what he could offer, both intellectually and politically. Little did they realize that divine providence and self-discipline had prepared Obama for the role of first Black man to be President of the United States of America!
The good book says: “do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin! Those who despised the little beginnings have cause to eat their words now.
There is a sense in which three years ago when the name of Sheriff Oborevwori popped into the public space as governorship candidate of the PDP with the full backing of then Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, some bystanders were wary about the man so chosen.
Some picked up the battleaxe of opprobrium and negative-sequencing. Some ignorantly and mischievously targeted his education or lack of it. Others zoomed in on his antecedents as a street boy! His grammar! His height. From the mundane to ridiculous. Yet some others travelled the route of giving the dog a bad name in order to hang it. Fair was foul. Foul was fair, to borrow some lines from Shakespeare!
Governor Okowa knew Speaker Sheriff as a man of substance, wisdom, political ambidexterity, and infinite humility better than most politicians in the state. And he stood by his choice. The rest as it is often said, is now history. This therefore is a tribute to three years of Sheriff Oborevwori’s stay in the saddle and the tenacity of the man whose vision and honour projected the latter to the elevated seat of First Citizen of Delta State!
Only those who were close, really close to the man Sheriff could vouch for his competence, suitability, and capacity for the job. Three years after that momentous choice was proclaimed, Senator Okowa has been proved right in his keen sense of judgment. The man Sheriff Oborevwori has convinced both friend and foe, that he has what it takes to govern a state like Delta, a microcosm of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
May 29th 2026, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori does not need to campaign in the conventional sense. He does not need to recount his achievements for the people to see. For with half an eye, one can see that all corners of the state have been turned into a construction site. Construction giant Julius Berger which we used to associate with Lagos and Abuja has come to stay in Delta State. Walking through the streets of Warri the people marvel at the quality of work that is ongoing!
His bold interventions in terms of infrastructure speak for him. He has quietly and poignantly connected with the masses, the ordinary people in the state. They feel connected with him. He has reached their hearts and this is a big deal in Nigerian politics. Warri has benefitted hugely from his intervention. Back streets. Side streets. Arteries. Feeder roads have not escaped his sight. DSC junction flyover. Enerhen flyover. PTI Junction flyover. Completion of Ughelli/Asaba dual carriage way. Southern Delta University Orerokpe campus. Flood control/Storm water drainage networks in Asaba, Warri, and Osubi.
His empowerment for widows. Sustaining four state-owned universities, some with multi-campuses. Regular payment of bursaries to students in tertiary institutions. Commissioners’ and permanent secretary quarters. Ongoing construction of the Specialist Hospital in Osubi.
Another area worthy of commendation is the successful relationship between ex-governor Okowa and the man he anointed as successor. There has been maturity on both sides. This has built a strong political family in the state. There have been many of such relationships that went south! Bola Tinubu and Akinwunmi Ambode. Adams Oshiomole and Godwin Obaseki. Rabiu Kwankwaso and Abdullahi Ganduje. Rotimi Amaechi and Nyesom Wike. Nyesom Wike and Siminalayi Fubara.
It would be a lie to assume that there had not been some differences between godfather and godson. What both men have done is to manage the relationship for the benefit of the state.. A lot is at stake for the state, the dramatis personae directly involved and their aides. Add to this the reconciliation process that preceded the last primaries in the APC in the state.
During the second tenure which Sheriff Oborevwori is sure to get in a free and fair election next year, it is hoped that focus would be FDIs that can create employment. It is hoped that establishment of factories will help the youths in the state. Income generating projects. Power infrastructure. What can we establish in all the local governments that can create jobs.
So, I congratulate His Excellency, Ukodo r’Okpe, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori for cooking ukodo meals for the whole of Delta State; for giving hope to the people, for managing ethnic relations and diversity, for managing all the big egos in the state and for forging an abiding relationship with the federal forces, for efficiently deploying resources for infrastructure development, for having an excellent relationships with traditional rulers, and for keeping an eye on the people of the state. Who knows? He may inadvertently be clearing a path to the Vice Presidency of the Federal Republic in the years to come. With grace, all things are possible! God bless Governor Oborevwori! God bless Delta State! May God keep our country safe!
By Hope O’Rukevbe EGHAGHA
