ASABA — Former Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Victor Ochei, has said his decision to contest the Delta North Senatorial seat is aimed at challenging what he described as political impunity and the growing concentration of political power in the hands of former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and his family.
Speaking on his senatorial ambition, Ochei maintained that his decision to enter the race was not driven by personal political interests but by a desire to protect the democratic rights of the people of Delta North.
“I’m contesting the Senate not because I actually wanted to, but somebody needs to challenge this impunity. So, it’s not about me, it’s about Delta North people,” Ochei said.
The former lawmaker disclosed that he formally resigned from the All Progressives Congress (APC) on May 9 and has since withdrawn from all activities of the party.
Ochei also alleged that Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, contacted him in an effort to persuade him not to challenge former Governor Okowa for the senatorial seat.
According to him, he rejected the appeal, arguing that it was inappropriate for one political family to dominate key elective positions in the district.
“The governor called me that I should not run against Okowa, and I told him, how can Okowa be contesting, his daughter is contesting and he’s still bringing his in-law? That is an insult to the collective intelligence of the people of Delta North and I won’t allow it,” he stated.
Ochei further claimed that Governor Oborevwori later sought to know what could convince him to step down, but he declined any form of political negotiation.
“He asked what I wanted to persuade me and I said there is nothing you can give me. So it’s not about Ochei, it’s about Delta North,” he added.
Addressing concerns about the financial strength of his potential opponents, the former Speaker argued that political victories are not always determined by the amount of money spent during campaigns.
Drawing from his experience during the 2014 Delta State governorship primary election, Ochei said he spent more than Okowa at the time but still lost the contest.
“He may have the money to spend, he has access to state funds, but he should know that if money gives power, he wouldn’t have become governor in 2015. The kind of money I had then, Okowa has not seen. I outspent him during the primaries but at the end he emerged,” he claimed.
Ochei said his campaign would focus on preserving a political environment that gives ordinary citizens and young people the opportunity to aspire to leadership positions.
“I was the son of a nobody when I contested and I won. The system allowed it, but today they are destroying that system that helped them. I want to break that barrier and give young people a chance to aspire,” he said.
The former Speaker also accused Okowa of maintaining excessive influence over the state’s political structure despite having held several key public offices over the years.
“People made Okowa governor, he chased all of them away and now he made somebody governor, he doesn’t want the person to breathe. Everything is still about him. That’s not supposed to be so,” Ochei alleged.
He argued that after serving as councillor, local government chairman, commissioner, Secretary to the State Government (SSG), senator, governor and vice-presidential candidate, Okowa should allow a new generation of leaders to emerge.
“God has blessed him — councillor to chairman to commissioner to SSG to senator to governor and even vice-presidential candidate. What else do you want? It is better to leave the stage when the ovation is loudest,” Ochei said.
The former Speaker reiterated that his Senate bid is driven by the need to challenge what he described as political impunity and to safeguard the future of democratic participation in Delta North.
