A group, the United Ughelli South Political Reawakening Forum (UUPRF), has thrown its weight behind calls for Chief Emuoboh Gbagi, a prominent son of Oginibo in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State, to contest the 2027 Delta State House of Assembly election.
The group said Gbagi’s candidacy would ensure effective representation and accelerate development across communities in the council area.
In a press statement made available to journalists yesterday, UUPRF blamed the slow pace of infrastructural development in Ughelli South on what it described as years of poor representation. It added that the local government could not afford to repeat the mistakes that had held it back over the years.
In the statement signed by Mr. Martins Ovedje and Mr. Onajite Ejaiita, Chairman and Secretary respectively, the forum lamented what it called the underdevelopment of Ughelli South despite its historical importance, stressing that the area would have recorded remarkable growth if it had enjoyed more purposeful and visionary representation.
According to the statement, “We, the members of this political organisation, have taken time to review the representation of Ughelli South by successive administrations in the state, and we have come to the conclusion that apart from Comrade Reuben Izeze, who performed creditably during the administration of former Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, others did little or nothing to advance the area.”
The group added that “Ughelli South is an ancient and important part of Delta State and should have witnessed far more infrastructural growth than what exists today. If men with sound business acumen like Chief Emuoboh Gbagi had been elected to represent the area, the story would have been different. We can attest to his intellectual depth and proven ability in business.”
It further stated that, as a politically conscious group committed to the development of Ughelli South, it had taken time to conduct its own assessment of those being considered for the next House of Assembly seat.
“Our findings, based on empirical evidence, show that the person with the integrity, intellectual capacity and business acumen needed to deliver the dividends of democracy to the people of Ughelli South is Chief Emuoboh Gbagi,” the group said.
UUPRF described Gbagi as the son of the late business mogul and former Minister of State, Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi, noting that he had demonstrated strong leadership and entrepreneurial capacity since the passing of his father.
The group said it had followed his track record closely and was convinced that he had sustained the family’s legacy by consolidating existing business interests and exploring new areas of enterprise to strengthen the foundation laid by his late father.
It added: “We are convinced that Ughelli South will be in safe hands in terms of transformational growth if Chief Emuoboh Gbagi is elected into the House of Assembly. He possesses the physical capacity, mental strength and vision needed to offer quality representation that will improve the lives of our people.”
The forum therefore called on the people of Ughelli South to rally round Gbagi and support his aspiration to represent the constituency in the House of Assembly from 2027.
According to the group, such support would open a new chapter of social, infrastructural and economic development for the area.
