The former People Democratic Party (PDP) Ughelli North LGA woman leader, also Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to Governor Sheriff Oborevwori on Women’s Mobilization, Mrs. Agbavwe Elohor in this interview with The Rainbow Newspaper, she bared her mind on the developmental strides of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori in two years in office, commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his Renewed Hope Agenda, and called on Deltans to vote for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Sheriff Oborevwori in the forthcoming 2027 general elections.
Q: May I meet you, ma’am?
Ans: My name is Mrs. Agbavwe Eloho, Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to Governor Sheriff Oborevwori on Women’s Mobilization, Founder of Delta Mother Support Initiative, and former PDP woman leader who crossed carpet to APC.
Q: As a former woman leader in the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), now that you’ve crossed carpet, can you now tell us your reasons for abandoning your former political party for the ruling party at the national level?
Ans: In politics, there is always a leader, and for you to grow politically, you have to follow your leader. My leader defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), and I have to follow him because he made me in politics; wherever he goes, I will go.
Q: Who is your political leader?
Ans: My political leader is the present Governor of Delta State, Governor Sheriff oborevwori.
Q: Do you know why your governor abandoned his political party that brought him into the governorship seat of Delta State?
My leader did not abandon his political party, my leader want the growth of Deltans, my leader is someone that love Deltans more than Delta, he think more of Deltans, he is not so someone that says he wants to be a leader because he want to make money, if you see what is happening in Delta nobody has ever done it in the history of Ughelli north. Governor Sheriff is constructing flyover at Otovwodo-Ughelli junction with the world class multi-billion construction company, Julius Berger this has not happened in the history of Ughelli north and Delta State as a whole, even the roads that he has done in Ughelli north are not like the ones the past administrations, he constructed a lot of bypass roads in Ughelli for instance if you are coming from Asaba you do not need to get to Otovwodo junction, you just can take the bypass by Ughelli township stadium to Agbarha junction through slaughter road, the governor is someone who knows the betterment of every Deltan.
Q: You said the governor did not leave PDP for APC, but he wants the betterment of Deltans. Can you explain what you mean by this?
Ans: PDP is not organized and the governor is someone who loves peace he joined APC so that his people can get more things from the presidency enabling him to empower his people in other words he means well for Deltans hence he joined forces with the power at the centre so that he can meet the needs of his people. If you notice when Goodluck Ebelle Jonathan was president and Uduaghan was governor, because both of them are in the same political party we had a lot of things that were coming into the state then because he knew that PDP at national is not organized and they are always fighting being a peaceful person and he want peace in his state, he said to himself, I am leading my people let me lead them well I do not want to be a shepherd that will start looking for his flocks. He said Okay, let’s cue under this party of APC so that we can still get things from the presidency to empower our people, so that more resources will come into the state.
Q: Talking about governance, how will you rate Governor Sheriff Oborecwori’s two years in office?
Ans: My Governor is hundred percent, if there’s another way to rate him he 100% plus, he is a Governor that listens to his people, he is a Governor that has always has his people at heart, if you meet our government you will know he is a man that loves every Deltans, he does not discriminate so our government is a perfect leader.
Q: In the areas of development and infrastructure how will you rate him?
Ans: Our Governor is just 2years and some months in the office our Governor is working, have you heard of the school he is building in Orerokpe, are you aware he is doing some things for the central hospital is bringing the City scan into Delta and making them cheap?, if you notice the health insurance scheme the governor said you as a Deltan will pay 7,500 it has not been like this in the history of Delta State.
Q: Let us talk about security in the state. How will you rate the Governor on the issue of the security of properties and lives?
Ans: You know security is a two way system you help the government because the government cannot just know everything about your community that’s why we have communities that they have PG’S they now tell the governor, they now tell their local government chairman, house of Assembly members to let the governor know the governor will then bring in more security the governor is trying he just bought more security vans.
Q: So, in what areas do you want the governor to improve in his administration?
Ans: The Governor is trying in every area, he’s trying, he’s touching everything, he has all the good special advisers and people that would work well.
Q: As a woman in the APC we gather women enlighten them about politics make them understand that women can grow politically because women are being marginalized, the Governor is someone that has tried in the history of Delta State, Out of the 25 local government areas of the state 22 women are vice chairmen in the history of Delta State it has never been done, he equalized gender, he knows they created women affairs, women leaders because they know women have maximum power for voting, they have strength for voting, so we are the women and we have our force as women so we are not being neglected but we need to fish out more for them to recognize us more.
Q: You are a strong member of the Ukodo Nation Forum. What is the hope of your group for 2027?
Ans: Ukodo Nation is a group that wants to campaign from door to door on how to bring people to love the governor more. Ukodo Nation is a force that you would like to associate with. Ukodo Nation is a place where everybody is carried along; everybody is important in Ukodo Nation. So politically if you are in the UKodo nation it assures you that UKodo will reach everybody which means you have cooked in the UKodo and you have to eat it, politically they are trying to empower their women, empower the youths trying to get them close to the system but you know you can’t please everyone but they are trying their best.
Q: Are you convinced that the sitting governor of the state, the person of Sheriff Oborevwori, can make it to Osadebay’s house come 2027?
Ans: I’m 100% sure he is going back; there is no vacancy in Osadebay house, Asaba.
Q: So what are the measures being put in place to ensure that the governor returns to Osadebay house without stress?
Ans: We are fully behind him, we sing the governor’s praises every day, in Ughelli now we go to so many roads you’ll say the governor has done well and you know recently now he brought a machine for people at a time he brought seeding for us to plant so the governor is 100 percent doing well in the lives of everyone.
Q: What will be your call to other women in Delta State who are not on this agenda?
Ans: Till tomorrow I am still preaching this agenda to all women that they need to be a part of this agenda,
Q: Looking at the situation of the country today what do you have to say about President Ahmed Bola Tinubu?
Ans: The country as am talking to you now a lot of this are still being processed we just came into APC and we have been enjoying from APC, if I tell you am not enjoying from APC am lying to you because I have got about 2 to 3 benefits from APC as APC person, when I was in PDP there was not that kind of you see people we hug each other and play along with each other so with this now I know that people in the presidency will always remember us at the local that we need them, now they will still plan for us we are planning to empower them to bring them to us they are planning to empower us.
Q: How do you see President Bola Tinubu’s tax reform?
Ans: if we don’t pay our tax how will we build our roads, when they were paying tax when we were going to Lagos from toll gate the roads were very good are you aware that there were no pot holes in Lagos roads when they were paying tax, but now you can’t even go to Abuja from Delta State you’ll spend up to 18hours instead of 8hours the roads are totally bad if our tax can make our roads good, make our hospitals good, if it will give us what we want why won’t we pay? We’ll pay the tax.
Q: Will you urge Nigerians to vote for him for a second tenure?
Ans: Yes, I’ll urge them to vote for him because we are not paying we are stealing, listen you know I stay in Abuja I noticed that every light you use you pay for it, if there’s no light you don’t pay but we are using these roads and not paying for them how will they maintain the roads when we are not paying for them? It’s good that we pay the tax. I am ready to pay the tax. I am ready to get my TIN today if I can get it.
Q: Are you aspiring to contest for elective office?
Ans: Not at all.
Q: Why?
Ans: I am waiting for the leaders to decide I can’t decide on my own.
Q: But if you were given the opportunity, would you go for an office?
Ans: No my leaders will decide, my women will decide for me.
Q: As a woman in politics because you hardly hear that women participate in political stuff as women in politics with your experience as you said that you were in PDP you moved to APC which means you have a lot of experience in political parties so what can you say is a barrier to women participating in politics in Nigeria?
Ans: The truth is that I heard women are being marginalized in every home there is a woman and women give birth to men now they see us as weaker vessels as women but we aren’t weaker people we have women that can speak, we have women that can stand and say this how things is suppose to be, because the women we see today are been bullied by men, am not a woman a man can bully I will tell you the truth that this is right and this is wrong, in politics today women are needed, in history today we are suppose to have a democratic woman as a governor in this country in Adamawa they stop her from being the governor because they believe a woman can’t rule but the governor now make it that women should be vice chairpersons in the history of politics there is no ministry of men affairs it was only ministry of women affairs. We have women who are senators, House of Representatives members, the women need a push.
Q: What inspires you to join politics?
Ans: I love politics, I love being around people. This belongs to people; let me give it to them. That is what is called politics.
Q: How do you think women can be empowered in Nigeria politically?
Ans: Empowerment of women, like for my women I told them that we don’t need this mindset of give me money we should engage our women in handicraft, farming, business with zero naira like importation you sell and you get your profit, going into real estate that is why we came up with the Delta support women initiative.
Q: What is your message for Deltans?
Ans: They should vote for our Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and President Tinubu in 2027so that they can continue with more agenda.
