Delta State Executive Committee of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) has disowned its governorship candidate in the 2023 general elections, Kenneth Gbagi.
Rather, the party has thrown its weight behind the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and governor-elect, Sheriff Oborevwori.
Speaking during a courtesy visit to the governor-elect and Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Oborevwori, in his office on Wednesday, the state SDP chairman, Oke Idawene, who led the State Working Committee, (SWC) of the party, disowned the party's governorship candidate, Gbagi, saying the party had nothing to do with him as he was on his own.
According to Idawene, they were not part of any suit filed by Gbagi at the governorship election tribunal against the governor-elect, Oborevwori.
According to him, "Chief Kenneth Gbagi imposed himself on members of the party in the state”.
Idawene said, “We want to let you know that we are not part of any litigation against your emergence as governor-elect of Delta state. This visit is calculated to tell the world that we did not do it in hiding, we did it to say that before SDP, there was a Delta state and that you are the governor-elect and in a few days, you will be sworn in as the governor of Delta state and not PDP.
"The entire EXCO here is saying that everything we will do to ensure that Rt. Hon Sheriff Oborevwori succeeds in Delta, we will do it. We are Deltans, we are doing what Delta state stands for and not party affairs.
“Our members will be in the tribunal as agents of the party to say that Chief Kenneth Gbagi was never ready for elections, he did not pay one single agent and that we have rejected him body, soul and spirit.
“During the elections, nobody here voted for SDP, we all voted PDP, we also voted for our governor, Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa for Presidency.
"Having said so, we can testify from Olomoro there was zero vote in SDP in my unit. We are identifying with this coming administration in Delta State. You are leading us for eight years and not four years.
“All litigation will go away, we are not going to say you are for someone else tomorrow whether PDP, SDP, APGA, there is a Delta state and that is what we stand for. From now on, we stand with you by the grace of God and we will not defer. Like I told you earlier, we will never leave you. Delta State must move forward."
Responding, Oborevwori expressed gratitude to the SDP members for the visit, saying, "I have told our people that I want to be governor for all Deltans. I want to use this opportunity to thank all Deltans for the organic love because in all, we were able to win 21 local governments out of the 25 local governments in the state, by the special grace of God with a margin of 119,880.
"I believe Deltans have spoken and the victory is for all of us. I have told Deltans that I am a pan-Deltan, I want to serve Deltans. You can see that the transition committee is all about inclusiveness, comprising the youths, Christian community, and public and private sectors which shows that the government that is coming is for all of us.
“I want to serve; I want to be a servant leader. Thank you all for coming, we will continue to work together to see how we can take Delta State to an enviable height and I know by the time we are done with our first tenure, by the special grace of God, Deltans will be very happy and Nigerians will be very happy as well."