South South Ijaw leaders have declared support for the endorsement of Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Delta State for the 2023 election by elder statesman, Chief Edwin Clark.
The leaders spoke in Warri, Delta State at a meeting of “The Struggle Platform”, a group pushing for improved conditions for Ijaws in oil-bearing communities in the Niger Delta.
Leader of the group, Elder Timi Ogoriba, said: “Today, you are seeing some of us from Bayelsa, Rivers, Edo, adding our voices to those in Delta State. They are our brothers, kith and kin. Whatever affects them affects all of us. We will give them that support and ensure that when the day comes, we will know where to cast our votes.
“Our father has given you (Senator Omo-Agege) his blessings. He is the father of the entire Izon nation. It was well publicised. I watched it on television when he said, ‘I am of PDP. They didn’t do what was right. So I have left them. Now that you are here with me, I will vote for you’.
“And if those things have been stated by our elder like that, who are we? We will give him that support that he deserves and go ahead with that,” he said.
Elder Ogoriba called on the deputy senate president not to neglect the oil-bearing communities of Ijaw when elected governor, saying despite laying the golden egg, the Ijaws had been neglected by successive administrations in the state.
He expressed optimism that when Omo-Agege becomes governor, he would replicate his achievements as lawmaker in all parts of the state.
Host, Chief Dan Ekpebide, supported Clark’s endorsement and promised to mobilise his supporters for all candidates of APC in the forthcoming election.
Chief Ekpebide extolled the leadership qualities of the DSP for influencing numerous projects to his constituency without executive powers.
