Aniocha stakeholders mobilise for APC, as Delta govt adviser makes economic case for Tinubu’s reforms
Political stakeholders, clergymen and community leaders from across the Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency have launched a fresh mobilisation drive tagged “Operation 3 Million Votes”, with speakers at the event making a strong case for the administrations of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and other leaders ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The mobilisation was held on Saturday at the Skill Acquisition Hall of the Aniocha North Local Government Council Secretariat, Issele-Uku, during a prayer and civic mobilisation programme organised by the Pastors’ Forum for Sustainable Development (PFSD).
The Executive Chairman of Aniocha South Local Government Council, Hon. Pastor Jude Chukwunwike, joined delegations from Aniocha North, Aniocha South, Oshimili North and Oshimili South at the gathering.
The major political and economic argument at the event was delivered by Dr. Donald Onyibe Peterson, Special Adviser to the Governor of Delta State on Entrepreneurship Development, who examined Nigeria’s economic trajectory from 2015 to date and argued that voters should assess political leadership through measurable economic outcomes rather than political rhetoric.
Peterson: Nigerians Must Judge Leaders With Facts
Peterson said citizens deserved facts, figures and measurable results when assessing government policies.
He traced the country’s economic difficulties to the years preceding the Tinubu administration, particularly the petrol subsidy regime and foreign exchange distortions, which he said placed enormous pressure on government finances.
According to him, the subsidy regime reportedly cost the country trillions of naira annually while creating distortions in the foreign exchange market and increasing pressure on government finances.
He acknowledged the hardship that followed the removal of the petrol subsidy in May 2023 but argued that the decision was necessary to halt what he described as an unsustainable fiscal haemorrhage.
“I will not stand before pastors and pretend that a difficult thing was easy,” Peterson said, adding that the subsidy removal represented “a wound” rather than continued fiscal haemorrhage.
Okowa Governorship: ‘Leadership Was About Survival’
Peterson also devoted a significant part of his presentation to the administration of former Delta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, warning against analysing Delta’s present economic position without considering the financial difficulties that confronted the state between 2015 and 2023.
He recalled that Okowa assumed office in May 2015 amid a sharp fall in international crude oil prices, declining federal allocations and a nationwide economic recession.
He argued that while many states struggled with salary and pension arrears during the period, the Okowa administration prioritised the payment of workers and pensioners while implementing its SMART Agenda.
According to Peterson, the administration also introduced programmes such as the Skills Training and Entrepreneurship Programme and the Youth Agricultural Entrepreneurs Programme as part of its strategy to create employment and support young entrepreneurs.
‘Okowa’s Greatest Achievement Was Succession’
Peterson said Okowa’s most significant political achievement might not necessarily be found in physical infrastructure but in the manner in which he handled succession.
He argued that Okowa left behind institutions and systems that could be continued by his successor rather than structures designed around one individual.
“The harder test of a governor is not what he erects but whether what he erects can survive the man who erected it,” Peterson said.
He added that Okowa handed over a state with what he described as a functioning revenue structure, civil service, health insurance system and development framework.
Peterson further praised Okowa for allowing his successor to govern without allegedly attempting to run the administration from behind the scenes.
Oborevwori Inherited ‘Going Concern’ — Peterson
Turning to the administration of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, Peterson said the governor did not inherit a state starting from scratch.
Rather, he said, Oborevwori inherited what he described as a “going concern” and had subsequently benefited from increased federal revenue following reforms implemented by the Tinubu administration.
Peterson argued that the increase in Federation Account allocations had provided states, including Delta, with greater resources to execute infrastructure and development projects.
He claimed that Delta State’s Federation Account receipts increased substantially between 2023 and 2025, making the state one of the largest beneficiaries among Nigeria’s 36 states.
‘Tinubu Increased Resources, Oborevwori Converted Them Into Projects’
The governor’s adviser said credit should be apportioned among the different administrations rather than political actors attempting to take exclusive ownership of developments.
“President Tinubu made the resources available by taking a decision that cost him politically. Senator Okowa built the house that was standing when the resources arrived. Governor Oborevwori has had the prudence and the pace to convert those resources into concrete rather than commentary,” he said.
Peterson also highlighted the Delta State 2026 budget, particularly the significant allocation to capital expenditure and road infrastructure.
He cited ongoing and approved road projects across several local government areas, including Aniocha North and Aniocha South, as examples of projects which he said reflected the increased fiscal space available to the state.
Peterson Highlights NELFUND, Reserves
The Special Adviser also highlighted the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), describing it as one of the reforms with direct impact on ordinary Nigerian families.
He said the student loan scheme was capable of reducing the financial burden on families struggling to fund tertiary education.
Peterson argued that the interest-free structure and delayed repayment mechanism could give students from less-privileged backgrounds greater access to higher education.
He also pointed to Nigeria’s foreign exchange reserves, arguing that the country’s external position had improved significantly compared with 2023.
According to him, the increase in reserves and narrowing gap between official and parallel foreign exchange rates were signs of greater stability in the financial system.
‘Naira Reform Exposed Reality’
On the controversial foreign exchange reforms, Peterson argued that the unification of the foreign exchange market did not create all the underlying weaknesses of the naira but exposed distortions that had existed under the previous system.
He described the previous multiple-rate regime as unsustainable and argued that the reforms were necessary to establish a more transparent foreign exchange market.
However, he acknowledged that inflation remained a major burden for Nigerians.
“Inflation at sixteen per cent is still a burden, and I will not insult anyone in this hall by calling it a victory,” he said.
Pastors Urged To Mobilise Voters
Earlier, the President of the Pastors’ Forum for Sustainable Development, Bishop Dr. Amb. Jude Ahkere, urged pastors and members of the congregation to view civic participation as part of their responsibility to society.
He called for greater voter mobilisation, political awareness and active participation in the electoral process ahead of the 2027 elections.
Chukwunwike, in his remarks, stressed the importance of grassroots mobilisation, saying the proposed three-million-vote target could only be achieved through sustained engagement at the ward and community levels.
He urged political stakeholders to focus on voter registration, grassroots organisation and continuous engagement with the electorate.
Operation 3 Million Votes Begins In Delta
The gathering ended with renewed calls for political mobilisation and support for the administrations of President Tinubu, Governor Oborevwori and local government chairmen across Delta State.
Representatives of Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, Governor Oborevwori and former House of Representatives member Rt. Hon. Godwin Ndudi Elumelu attended the programme alongside APC leaders, government officials, political stakeholders and clergymen from the Aniocha/Oshimili axis.
The organisers said the “Operation 3 Million Votes” initiative would focus on grassroots mobilisation as the 2027 elections approach.
The programme ultimately combined prayer, political mobilisation and economic analysis, with speakers insisting that voters must examine government policies and measurable outcomes before casting their ballots.
