By Stephen Simon
Executive Director of the Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM), Stella Okotete, has said that Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, demonstrated significant political strength by defeating former Deputy Senate President, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, in the 2023 governorship election despite what she described as strong federal support for the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate at the time.
Okotete made the remarks while reacting to comments made by Omo-Agege during his appearance on ARISE Television’s The Morning Show on Wednesday.
She maintained that the outcome of the 2023 governorship election reflected Oborevwori’s popularity and acceptance among Delta voters, dismissing suggestions that the governor lacks influence within the APC.
According to her, the APC’s decision to welcome Oborevwori into its fold was driven by the need to strengthen the party’s leadership structure in the state.
“The APC gave Governor Sheriff Oborevwori the platform when it became clear that the party in Delta lacked the leadership capacity required at the time,” Okotete stated.
She also recalled that Omo-Agege and some of his associates had earlier endorsed a minority APC report months before Oborevwori formally joined the party.
Citing the results of the 2023 governorship election, Okotete noted that Oborevwori won in 21 of Delta State’s 25 local government areas, while Omo-Agege secured victories in only a few councils.
“While the governor won 21 local government areas in the election, Omo-Agege won only about three and a half local governments,” she said.
Okotete further questioned the credibility of some votes recorded in areas regarded as Omo-Agege’s political strongholds, alleging that certain results were artificially inflated. She, however, did not provide evidence to support the claim.
She insisted that the election outcome remains the clearest indication of Oborevwori’s political appeal, stressing that the governor defeated a prominent federal officeholder despite the advantages available to him at the time.
