JUST IN: “Governor Sheriff Oborevwori Is More Concerned About His Political Ambition And Not The Lives Of Deltans”___

By Uche Alvin

The Warri Ijaw Stakeholders have raised serious concerns over the conduct and priorities of Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, warning that his recent actions show he is more interested in positioning himself for the 2027 elections than addressing the urgent issues facing Deltans.

In a viral video currently circulating, the Governor’s utterances reveal that his central focus is on political survival and electoral calculations, rather than peace, unity, and development of the state. The Stakeholders therefore caution Deltans, especially the Ijaws and Urhobos, not to take him seriously, as he has shown repeatedly that the welfare of the people does not rank high in his agenda.

The Stakeholders recalled how, during the height of the Warri crisis years back, Sheriff Oborevwori’s father’s house was spared from being burnt by Itsekiri youths only because it was boldly marked “Sheriff Papa House.” This, according to them, is symbolic of how the Governor has always placed his personal and family interests above the collective wellbeing of his people.

They further condemned his silence and inaction in the face of recent attacks in Warri South, where Itsekiri youths reportedly attacked the Ogbe-Ijo community, leaving two Ijaw youths shot, alongside other assaults within Warri and its environs. According to them, these are the same types of provocations that triggered the 1997–2003 Warri crisis, yet instead of addressing the danger signs, the Governor is busy campaigning for 2027.

“It is unfortunate and shameful that such reckless statements as we saw in his video are coming from a sitting state governor. At a time when communities are under attack and the peace of Warri is fragile, he is telling the world that his mind is set only on the 2027 elections. This is an insult to all Deltans. If Governor Sheriff Oborevwori is afraid of the Itsekiris, which is already obvious, he should have a rethink. Let him know that with or without the INEC ward and unit delineation report, the Ijaws and Urhobos remain the majority. And if the genuine delineation report is not released by INEC, there will never be an election in the Warri Federal Constituency,” the statement declared.

The Stakeholders emphasized that the Governor must not take the Ijaws and Urhobos for granted, warning that their people have the capacity to resist any form of oppression. They, however, stressed that they are waiting patiently to see the outcome of INEC’s report.

The group also called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to take note of these disturbing developments, stressing that it has become evident the Delta State Governor does not value the citizens of the state.

“As we said in our last press release, Governor Oborevwori’s conduct has only justified our claim that he cannot be a general governor of Delta State. If the Itsekiris did not burn down his father’s house during the crisis years simply because he labeled it ‘Sheriff Papa House’, then it is clear that his leadership is biased, sentimental, and incapable of rising above narrow interests to serve the diverse peoples of Delta State,” the Stakeholders added.

They therefore warned that failure to prioritize peace and justice in Warri could plunge the state back into another round of crisis, and that no amount of political maneuvering for 2027 will shield the Governor from the anger of the people if such instability resurfaces.

Signed:
Tariwei Goodman Ebi. Chairman

Ebiwie Godfrey Secretary.