IYOVWAYE: TRADITIONAL RULERS’ ENDORSEMENT DOES NOT REMOVE DELTANS’ RIGHT TO CHOOSE
I have read the communiqué issued by the Ukoko R’Ivie R’Urhobo, in which our revered forum of Urhobo traditional rulers expressed support for the incumbent Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, as the “sole candidate” of the Urhobo Nation for the 2027 governorship election.
I hold our royal fathers and the exalted institutions they represent in the highest esteem. They are sacred custodians of our history, culture, customs and communal values.
With that deep respect, we must clearly distinguish between traditional counsel and constitutional authority.
Our royal fathers have every right to express their views and give guidance where necessary. However, under the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the electorate alone has the authority to elect the Governor of Delta State through the ballot box. An endorsement, no matter how dignified its source, cannot supersede or extinguish Deltans’ democratic right to choose their leaders.
As an Urhobo man, I deeply understand the value of unity. But Delta State belongs to all of us — Urhobo, Ijaw, Itsekiri, Isoko, Anioma, and every community that calls this state home.
The governorship is a sacred trust sought from all Deltans, not a title conferred by an ethnic consensus.
Before any endorsement is treated as a final political verdict, Deltans deserve to ask a fundamental question:
What exactly is being endorsed?
Are we endorsing the number of sustainable jobs created for our unemployed youth?
The industries established?
The businesses enabled to grow?
Reliable power and infrastructure for small businesses?
A stronger healthcare system?
Better educational opportunities?
Or a credible strategy to diversify our economy beyond dependence on oil revenues?
The argument that Delta State lacks resources can no longer be accepted as a sufficient explanation for the challenges confronting our people.
The State Government’s 2026 budget proposal projected total expenditure of ₦1.664 trillion, including ₦720 billion from statutory allocation, ₦250 billion from internally generated revenue and ₦120 billion from VAT. The Government also acknowledged increased inflows through FAAC following the removal of the petroleum subsidy.
Accordingly, the central question should no longer simply be:
“How much revenue does Delta State receive?”
The more important question is:
“What measurable economic transformation are Deltans receiving in return for these substantial resources?”
And this question must be addressed at both the state and federal levels.
The All Progressives Congress is currently the ruling party in Nigeria, while Governor Sheriff Oborevwori has chosen to align Delta State politically with the APC. The Governor has publicly said that his decision to join the APC was driven by the need to align Delta with the Federal Government and that the alignment has enhanced access to resources and improved governance outcomes. He has also described President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election as his “number one political project.”
That political alignment therefore creates an even greater obligation to demonstrate tangible results.
Deltans should not be asked to celebrate political alignment when what they require is meaningful economic transformation.
If alignment with the Federal Government is presented as an advantage, then the people are entitled to ask: Where are the measurable benefits?
The APC-led government must be assessed by the outcomes its policies have produced for ordinary Nigerians. Similarly, the Delta State Government must be evaluated on how effectively it has deployed the resources available to it.
The APC cannot seek another mandate from Deltans on the basis of promises alone. It must account for its results.
Where those results have fallen short of the expectations of our people, we must have the courage to say so:
The APC has not delivered the transformation Deltans deserve.
This is not a matter of political bitterness. It is a matter of accountability.
If an administration has access to greater resources, it should create greater opportunities.
If government revenue increases, businesses should experience tangible benefits.
If billions are invested in infrastructure, the productive economy should become stronger.
If political alignment with the Federal Government is presented as an advantage, Deltans should be able to see its benefits in their communities, businesses, farms, schools, hospitals and household incomes.
Political alignment is not development.
Budgets are not development.
Contracts are not development.
Development is measured by the extent to which government improves the lives and economic prospects of its people.
The present administration has reported major investments in roads, bridges and other infrastructure and has identified infrastructure expansion, human-capital development and economic growth among its priorities.
Those projects should be acknowledged where they serve the people.
But expenditure is not the same thing as transformation.
A government can spend billions of naira and still leave fundamental questions unanswered.
How many sustainable private-sector jobs have been created?
How many new industries are operating and employing Deltans?
How many young people who would otherwise leave Delta for Lagos, Abuja or overseas now have viable opportunities at home?
What measurable improvement has occurred in the business environment?
What is being done to provide the reliable infrastructure that allows businesses to survive and expand?
What measurable progress has been made in healthcare and education?
And, perhaps most importantly:
How much stronger is the productive economy of Delta State today than it was before these enormous public resources became available?
These are not partisan questions.
They are questions every responsible government should be prepared to answer.
Delta does not merely need larger budgets.
Delta needs budgets that create greater opportunities.
Delta does not merely need projects.
Delta needs projects that generate lasting economic value.
Delta does not merely need government expenditure.
Delta needs measurable returns on public expenditure that improve the lives of its people.
That is the standard to which every government should be held.
And that is why the 2027 election should be a referendum not merely on endorsements, personalities or political arrangements, but on performance, accountability, competence and vision.
That is the conversation I am bringing to Deltans under the platform of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
I seek no confrontation with our traditional institutions. As a dutiful son of Urhobo land, I will officially request an audience with the Ukoko R’Ivie R’Urhobo to present my vision directly and respectfully, just as I am presenting it to everyday citizens across all 25 Local Government Areas.
I believe our traditional rulers deserve to hear directly from every serious contender for the leadership of Delta State, just as Deltans deserve to hear and compare the visions of those seeking their mandate.
Performance must be the standard.
Development must be the measure.
Accountability must be non-negotiable.
And the people must remain the final judge.
When Deltans step into the polling booth in 2027, it will not be a communiqué that marks their ballots.
It will be their own judgement of character, competence, record and vision.
I respect our royal fathers.
I respect Governor Oborevwori’s right to run.
And above all, I respect the sacred right of every Deltan to choose.
I will continue to campaign peacefully, constructively and firmly.
I will not step down.
Deacon Chris Iyovwaye
NDC Governorship Candidate, Delta State (2027)
