Politics
Delta: PDP Chieftain Harps On Zoning Arrangement
A former Minister of State for Education, Chief Kenneth Gbagi, has called on the political class in Delta to maintain the zoning arrangement for the governorship position, in the spirit of fairness and justice.
Gbagi made the call on Monday while on a familiarisation visit to the Urhobos in Bayelsa, to solicit for their support, ahead of the forthcoming governorship election in the state.
Although Gbagi said that he contested the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship primaries in 1999 that produced Chief James Ibori as candidate, he said that he had since joined hands to build and strengthen the party in the state.
He noted that as the main advocate of zoning arrangement that saw Ibori’s emergence from the central senatorial district as governor, Uduaghan from south and Okowa from north, it was only natural that the governorship position should now return to the Urhobos.
Gbagi, who is also an industrialist, urged the Urhobos to continue to pray and support Okowa for him to finish very strong.
He described the governor as a very shrewd politician who knew the contributions of the Urhobos toward his emergence as governor and owed them the duty of returning governorship to the Urhobos.
Gbagi urged the people to ensure actualisation of the agreement on the zoning of the governorship seat to the central senatorial zone.
The politician also advised them against being influenced by politicians to mortgage their future and that of the generation yet unborn through monetary inducements during the primaries.
He lauded the governor for the monumental transformation going on in the state and promised to sustain the legacies of the governor, if elected.
Early in his welcome remarks, the President of Urhobo Progressive Union (UPU), Bayelsa chapter, Chief Charles Oruru, expressed joy over Gbagi’s visit, describing him as an astute industrialist and politician who had impacted the lives of the people of the state positively.
Oruru assured Gbagi of the unalloyed support of the Urhobos living in Bayelsa to ensure his emergence as governor, come 2023.
Similarly, the Delta South Political Assembly (DESPA) has urged the Delta Central Political Movement (DC-03), another emerging political group in Delta State, not to mislead the people of the state on the issue of zoning of the governorship position for the 2023 elections.
The Director of Media, Comrade Abobo Blessing, in a statement made available to news men yesterday, said the state should continue with the existing zoning formula, which he said was based on ethnic groups.
According to him, zoning by ethnic groups, being practiced since 1999 was consistent with the 1999 Constitution, especially Chapter Two, as well as the PDP Constitution, 2017.
The group maintained that for the 2023 governorship election, the pendulum by all fairness, favours the Ijaw and the Isoko ethnic groups.
Abubu said: “The Delta Central Political Movement, DC-03, can focus on their Urhobo governorship ambition come 2023 since it is their constitutional right to do so.
“The movement being floated by the cream of Urhobo political leaders is free to propagate their course of championing Urhobo governorship agenda.”
He maintained that the DESPA disagreed with DC-03 for making reference to the settled issue of the non-existent zoning formula based on the Senatorial Districts.
According to him, some of the members of the said DC-03, who had contested the PDP primary elections in 2006 and 2014, together with other aspirants from the Delta North and South Senatorial Districts, knew that there was nothing like zoning in Delta State PDP, based on Senatorial Districts.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has extended the deadline for political parties to submit the list of candidates for the 2027 governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections from Saturday, August 8, to Tuesday, August 11, 2026.
The commission announced the extension in a statement issued on Saturday and signed by the National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna.
According to INEC, the decision followed appeals by political parties for additional time to complete the submission process through the dedicated online portal.
“The submission window, which according to the revised Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the General Election was originally scheduled to close on Saturday, 8th August, 2026, has been extended to Tuesday, 11th August, 2026,” the commission said.
In a a related development, INEC announced the suspension of PVC collection in Osun State ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
The commission said voters who applied for replacement of lost, damaged or defaced Permanent Voter Cards would have until midnight on Sunday, August 9, to print downloadable copies of their cards.
The electoral body explained that the deadline was necessary to enable it compile data on downloaded PVCs and produce final statistics on the total number of cards collected ahead of the election.
INEC said PVC collection in Osun commenced at the Registration Area level from July 22 to 28, 2026, but was extended to July 31 following complaints about large crowds and difficulties experienced by voters at collection centres.
The exercise subsequently moved to the local government level and ran from August 1 to 7.
The commission also disclosed that replacement downloadable PVCs had been made available to voters in Odo-Otin and Ife Central Local Government Areas following the theft of cards during attacks on the two collection centres.
It stressed that the stolen cards could not be used to vote.
INEC reassured Osun residents of its preparedness for the August 15 governorship election.
“The commission reiterates that the stolen cards cannot be used to vote.
“INEC reassures the people of Osun State of its readiness to conduct a free, fair, credible and inclusive governorship election on 15th August, 2026,” the statement said.
The commission said the deadline, initially set for Saturday, 8 August, has been extended to Tuesday, 11 August 2026, following appeals from political parties for more time.
INEC also announced that the window for voters who applied to replace lost, damaged or defaced PVCs to download their replacement cards will close at midnight on Sunday, 9 August.
The move is to enable the commission compile final PVC collection figures ahead of the 15 August Osun governorship election.
INEC said replacement downloadable PVCs have also been provided to affected voters in Odo-Otin and Ife Central Local Government Areas after hoodlums carted away cards from two collection centres, stressing that the stolen cards cannot be used to vote.
The commission reaffirmed its readiness to conduct a free, fair, credible and inclusive election in Osun State.
Gov. Kefas made the remarks over the weekend at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Jalingo, during the flag-off of the second phase of the Renewed Hope Medical Outreach in Taraba State, organised as part of activities marking Prof. Yilwatda’s 58th birthday.
The governor commended Prof. Yilwatda for choosing to mark his birthday by providing medical care to people in need.
“What Professor Nentawe did is a powerful demonstration of what leadership should be,” Gov. Kefas said.
He assured that his administration would continue to support initiatives that complement government efforts to improve healthcare delivery and the wellbeing of residents.
Speaking at the event, Prof. Yilwatda called on Nigerian leaders to embrace the culture of giving and use their positions to touch the lives of the less privileged.
He said his decision to celebrate his 58th birthday in Taraba State was deliberate and informed by the needs of underserved communities, particularly people who face difficulties accessing healthcare because of distance and financial constraints.
According to him, the intervention followed a needs assessment and was extended across the three senatorial districts of the state.
He said the exercise commenced on August 3 at Takum General Hospital and covered the Federal University Teaching Hospital, Wukari; First Referral Hospital, Sunkani, Ardo-Kola Local Government Area; General Hospital, Bali; General Hospital, Gembu; and FMC Jalingo.
Prof. Yilwatda said the intervention provided medical services to thousands of beneficiaries, including people who required surgical procedures.
He said sustainable national development could only be achieved when strong institutions placed Nigerians at the centre of development.
“Leadership is about service,” he said, urging political and public leaders to make giving back to society an important part of their responsibilities.
He reaffirmed his commitment to serving Nigeria and its people, saying his personal vision was to make every day of his life useful to humanity.
“Every day that I live, the vision is: let it be useful to humanity,” he said.
The Taraba State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Bordiya Buma, commended the initiative, saying it was consistent with the Renewed Hope agenda and efforts to strengthen healthcare delivery in the state.
Dr Buma said the second phase followed the successful completion of the first phase, which was conducted simultaneously in six local government areas, with two LGAs selected from each of the three senatorial districts.
According to him, more than 10,000 patients were attended to during the first phase, including people with medical and surgical conditions.
He disclosed that 327 general surgeries, 71 eye surgeries and 575 dental procedures were carried out during the exercise.
The commissioner expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for the Renewed Hope Medical Outreach and thanked Prof. Yilwatda for supporting the initiative and choosing Taraba State as a beneficiary.
The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, also commended Prof. Yilwatda for choosing Taraba State to mark his 58th birthday through a medical outreach.
Prof. Pate said making healthcare the centrepiece of the birthday celebration was significant because health affects everyone.
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