The candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Chief O’Tega Emerhor, stood alone at the governorship debate organisers by stakeholders for the three leading governorship candidates in Delta State on Tuesday night.
The candidate of the Labour Party, Chief Great Ogboru, who showed up at the Grand Hotel, Asaba venue of the debate, withdrew on finding out that the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, would not be participating.
Okowa’s campaign organisation had earlier circulated a press release, explaining that his withdrawal from the debate was based on the fact that his party had instituted a court process to disqualify the LP and APC candidates from contesting the election.
The Director of Communication of the Okowa Campaign Organisation, Mr. Funkekeme Solomon, said in the press release that though Okowa and the PDP would have loved to be part of the debate, they could morally not do so because it would negate the spirit with which they went to court to challenges the eligibility of Emerhor and Ogboru to contest the election.
Ogboru had said that his primary goal of responding to the invitation to the debate was to meet the PDP candidate and take him on. So since Okowa was not there, it would be meaningless for him to participate.
On the withdrawal of Okowa and Ogboru, the APC candidate said the candidates were simply not prepared to give account of themselves before the electorate. He said LP was an extension of the PDP because the two of them are working for a common presidential candidate.
“This is a referendum on their performance for the past 16 years. I think it is evident. If people cannot defend what they have done and they asking for a renewal of the lease to continue to rule; if people have ruled this state for 16 years and there is no evidence that they have ruled well; no water, no employment, poverty is stark naked everywhere; infrastructure deficit is everywhere; they can’t defend what they have done.
“If they run away they cannot explain to Delta people, then you don’t give them your mandate. They have today told Deltans that they don’t want to talk to them; they don’t owe them any explanation; nobody should ask them questions about what they have been doing for 16 years.
“I stood because I wanted to tell Deltans that these people have failed you. Give me the mandate,” Emerhor said.
During the debate, Emerhor promised to reduce cost of governance and project financing by bringing in partners to jointly fund major projects.
“We intend to use resources of Delta State as seed money and counterpart funding to attract outside funding of projects,” he said.
Proceedings were temporarily halted during the debate when an electric device malfunctioned and caused an explosion. The debate continued afterwards.
The candidate of the Labour Party, Chief Great Ogboru, who showed up at the Grand Hotel, Asaba venue of the debate, withdrew on finding out that the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, would not be participating.
Okowa’s campaign organisation had earlier circulated a press release, explaining that his withdrawal from the debate was based on the fact that his party had instituted a court process to disqualify the LP and APC candidates from contesting the election.
The Director of Communication of the Okowa Campaign Organisation, Mr. Funkekeme Solomon, said in the press release that though Okowa and the PDP would have loved to be part of the debate, they could morally not do so because it would negate the spirit with which they went to court to challenges the eligibility of Emerhor and Ogboru to contest the election.
Ogboru had said that his primary goal of responding to the invitation to the debate was to meet the PDP candidate and take him on. So since Okowa was not there, it would be meaningless for him to participate.
On the withdrawal of Okowa and Ogboru, the APC candidate said the candidates were simply not prepared to give account of themselves before the electorate. He said LP was an extension of the PDP because the two of them are working for a common presidential candidate.
“This is a referendum on their performance for the past 16 years. I think it is evident. If people cannot defend what they have done and they asking for a renewal of the lease to continue to rule; if people have ruled this state for 16 years and there is no evidence that they have ruled well; no water, no employment, poverty is stark naked everywhere; infrastructure deficit is everywhere; they can’t defend what they have done.
“If they run away they cannot explain to Delta people, then you don’t give them your mandate. They have today told Deltans that they don’t want to talk to them; they don’t owe them any explanation; nobody should ask them questions about what they have been doing for 16 years.
“I stood because I wanted to tell Deltans that these people have failed you. Give me the mandate,” Emerhor said.
During the debate, Emerhor promised to reduce cost of governance and project financing by bringing in partners to jointly fund major projects.
“We intend to use resources of Delta State as seed money and counterpart funding to attract outside funding of projects,” he said.
Proceedings were temporarily halted during the debate when an electric device malfunctioned and caused an explosion. The debate continued afterwards.
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