The Chief Imam of Warri central mosque, Alhaji Abdul-Rasheed Aroyewon Ajisefe, and Chairman of the Central Mosques, Alhaji Odejide Suleiman, have assured the governorship candidate of Young Progressive Party (YPP) in Delta State, Chief Dr. Sunny Ofehe, of their unflinching support.

The Islamic clerics and Muslim community in Warri, Delta State, endorsed Ofehe as their choice for the 2023 general election weeks after similar endorsement was made by the leadership and members of Igbo Youth Movement,(IYM).

Ofehe support base soared after members of Lower Erejuwa Motor Spare Parts Association, LEMSPA, Igbo Market Amalgamated Traders Association IMATA and Effurun Tools and Motor Spare Parts Dealers Association (EMSPADA) threw their weight behind his candidature penultimate week.

Ofehe who recently bagged a honourary doctorate, was endorsed after he had an interactive session with selected senior Muslim clerics led by Chief Imam, Ajisefe and Chairman of Central Mosques, Suleiman in Warri, commercial hub of the state.

While pledging their unalloyed support for the governorship candidate, Chief Imam of the Warri Central Mosque, Alhaji Ajisefe and Chairman of Central Mosques, Alhaji Suleiman, said that Ofehe’s action plans for the state fits in well in their desire to see a new Delta State comes 2023.

“On behalf of Warri Muslim community, Central Mosque under the able leadership of Chief Imam, Alhaji Abdul-Rasheed Aroyewon Ajisefe, we want to thank you for this visit. You should consider yourself very lucky because among all the contestants running for governorship of Delta State you're the first person that is receiving our blessings so consider yourself very lucky,” he enthused.

Alhaji Suleiman said that having listened to the YPP gubernatorial candidate, he was convinced that Delta State can be transformed with Ofehe's emergence as governor comes 2023.

“You have gone deeply to convince us and I as a person you have convinced my mind with your speech. Why I said so is this; every Nigerian politician has disappointed us, the common men. Every poor man in Nigeria have been disappointed by politician because at the beginning they always have sugarcoated mouth, they tell you what they cannot do but you, backing your own even with a document and a lawyer really shows you are indeed prepared and you have a straight mind to do things here,” he said.

He expressed optimism that Ofehe would emerge as the next governor of the oil-rich state, maintaining that he has shown his proved capacity to emerge as governor of the state.

Alhaji Suleiman and the Chief Imam, Alhaji Abdul-Rasheed Aroyewon Ajisefe who also spoke separately, assured him of their unalloyed support and prayers, expressing desire to mobilize the entire Muslim community in the state to support his governorship aspiration.

In his speech earlier, Ofehe said that though he has no money to throw around like the moneybags he was contesting against, he is the most qualified, most exposed and prepared in terms of service delivering among the contestants on the race.

The environmental rights activist, said that as a governor when elected he would be able to use his contacts and network to attract $26 billion foreign direct investment to drive the social economic challenges of the state and shore up its revenue.

He urged the Muslim faithful to support his aspirations, saying that the experience he has to transform the state, no amount of money can afford it.

“As I walked in here I felt deep in my spirit that I want to adopt you as my spiritual father so that in the course of my political journey in this state I may come to you for advice. I know is going to be tough, I know I am going to face top challenges from people who are using instrument of government and the finances of government because they are still in power.

“I don’t have the money going by the context of Nigeria’s politics; I don’t even have a godfather but what I have is what money cannot buy. What I have is the experience that life has taught me and exposure that a governor of a rich state like Delta should have to galvanize and bring the dividends of democracy to her people,” Ofehe said.

He further said: “Sheriff, the PDP candidate, is still the House of Assembly Speaker. If he goes anywhere the state pays for him. The Deputy Senate President is the APC contestant; if he goes anywhere the Senate pays for him. I am contesting against this big power house. They have the money to spread around but what I have money cannot buy.

“The experience I have money cannot buy and what I want to bring to my people they can’t bring it to the people. I know there are about 16 to 18 of us on that ballot but I see myself as the most prepared, with the best capability and best exposure to show to the world that this Delta State with all its natural resources, human capacity can evolve from being a state with a lot of poor people, jobless young people, people out of school to become the California of sub-sahara Africa.

“If you put together all the economic empowerment that we have in this state as a governor, we can generate an average of $26 billion annually that can drive our economy process and deal with our social challenges in a way that the world will begin to see this state as the place to be like Dubai has turned out to be.

“Of course I cannot achieved this all alone so I need people like you, I need fathers like you. I need religious people like you to back me in prayers and to galvanized your votes. I am not here to say you much support me but I am here to consult with your wonderful team and to tell you people that I am offering myself to serve because I know that I have the capacity, the knowledge and the exposure. I know that Sunny Ofehe as governor of Delta State will bring better meaning for the Muslim community in this state.”

Ofehe, however promised to establish good motorable road networks, healthcare facilities and 21 century modern security system to connect all worship centres in the state to tackle issue of insecurity, kidnapping and banditry in the state.

Ofehe sued for peace among religion in the state, promising to harmonise the various religion in the State and ensure a peaceful coexistence among all Deltans irrespective of tribe, religion and political affiliations.

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