2019: Why I won’t debate with Okowa – Ogboru
*Describes Gbagi as an “empty barrel”
By Perez Brisibe
UGHELLI – ALL Progressives Congress, APC, governorship candidate for Delta State, Chief Great Ogboru has said he would not be availing the state governor and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, the opportunity to debate with him ahead of the 2019 general elections.
Ogboru also lampooned ex-minister of education, Chief Kenneth Gbagi describing him as an “empty barrel” over his comments against him as published in Saturday Vanguard where he stated that “Ogboru swore to him about 18years ago in the presence of others, that he would not contest the position of governor in the state.”
The governorship hopeful in his response to Gbagi, said: “He is an empty barrel and empty barrels make the loudest noise and that’s all I can say. I want to forget about him because he is nothing.”
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Responding to call by Okowa for a debate during the PDP campaign flag off held last Friday at Oghara, Ogboru said: “How can it be that Ogboru has become the issue during the rally? What happened to the non-availability of jobs, spate of under-development and non-payment of pensioners in the state and why is he calling my name?”
Citing reasons why he would not participate in a likely debate with Okowa, Ogboru said: “When we came to Asaba for debate in 2015, he ran away. So who is he calling for a debate with? After he has rigged himself into office, he wants to have a debate with me?
“But I’m not so sure I would want to stand with a man who did not become governor by legitimate process, he knows that he didn’t win an election and as an issue based politician, what am I going to discuss with Okowa by standing with him to debate? I don’t join issues with illegality and Okowa is an illegality standing there and he knows it.
Lamenting the state of infrastructural development in the state, he said: “The question is, first and foremost, what am ‘I debating with him about? Are you not seeing the state of Delta? Do you need to be told that there is a problem in the state? Should I go and break his head open and put facts inside? He simply has nothing to offer and there are no issues to be discussed as all he has to say is Anioma agenda, turn by turn and that is what has ruined the state till today.
“The people of Delta State are ready to vote out PDP once and for all and make sure that the party doesn’t come back and they are even far more ready than we are, we are going to make sure that happens. All the things that would make them come back are no longer in their hands so I do not see how they want to win elections.”