3rd Phase National Leader-Elect, Gen Ogidigba Appreciates Gov Okpeholo, Tompolo, Dr Otuaro, Pondi, Young Shall Grow, Ebi Kyari, Edgar, Others

By Joseph Bienbo & Stanley Binotubo

The National Leader Elect, Gen Godstime Ogidigba of the Third Phase of the Presidential Amnesty Programme has expressed his gratitude to Governor of Edo State Senator Monday Okpeholo, High Chief Government Oweizide Ekpemupolo alias Tompolo, High Chief Dr Dennis Brutu Otuaro, administrator of the presidential Amnesty programme, High Chief Kestin Pondi, the MD Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, HRM Selke Tonyedi, popularly known as general ‘Young Shall Grow, Ebi Kyari, alias CSO, Hon. Edgar Biu and others for their support for his emergence as the national leader.

General Godstime Ogidigba in his speech shortly after his victory, promised to work closely with Dr Dennis Otuaro, the administrator of the presidential Amnesty programme and other critical stakeholders in the Niger Delta region to support the administrator of the presidential Amnesty programme to ensure that he fulfilled his mandate and reforms.

Speaking further, he emphasised strongly on unity among delegates of the Third Phase, adding that he would ensure all delegates in the Third Phase interest would be protected.

He also appreciated fellow aspirants who stepped down for him, others who contested the election with him and delegates who voted for him to emerge as the National Leader of the Third Phase of the presidential Amnesty programme.

However, Congress had earlier reported the conduct of the Third Phase national leadership election which was held on the 10th September, 2025 at Benin City, Edo State.

His speech read, “First I want to thank God for today, thank God Almighty for making today possible for us to conduct this election without any glitches.
Again, I want to thank the governor of Edo State, Senator Monday Okpeholo for making Edo State peaceful for us to conduct this election. I want to also thank the governor for listening to the cry of sons and daughters of the riverine area by not giving appointments to criminal minded individuals from the riverine area, and that has made Edo State very peaceful.

“The governor’s zero tolerance for crime and criminality is commendable, once more, I say thank you for your Excellency Monday Okpeholo. I want to equally use this opportunity to thank our father, our leader, High Chief Government Oweizide Ekpemupolo, AKA Tompolo who is the father of the Ijaw nation, who gave birth to the Amnesty Program which we are all benefitting from, Baba, I say thank you sir.

“I want to equally thank our boss, the Administrator of the presidential Amnesty programme, Chief Burutu Dennis Otuaro for playing neutral roles in this Third Phase leadership election, on that note I want to assure my boss, Chief Otuaro that the Third Phase leadership is ready to work with him hand in hand. We want to assure you sir that wherever you (Chief Burutu Dennis Otuaro) goes that’s where the Third Phase goes! Whatever Chief Burutu Dennis Otuaro does, that is what the Third Phase will do. Whatever Chief Burutu Dennis Otuaro forbids, Third Phase will forbid it, our leader Chief Burutu Dennis Otuaro, we are ready to work with your office, we are loyal to your administration, we will continue to support your administration so that you will achieve your goals for the Amnesty Program.

“We want to use this medium to also thank our leader High Chief Kestin Pondi, the MD Tantita security Services, Chief we say thank you sir. We will not also leave our brothers and our leaders, who have supported us in this struggle for us to have a perfect leadership to pilot the affairs of the Third Phase for the period of two years. We also use this opportunity to thank Chief Ebi Kyari, popularly known as CSO. CSO, we say thank you, our leader, our father, His Royal Majesty Selke Tonyedi, popularly known as general ‘Young shall grow”, our leader, our mentor, we say thank you. Our brother, our friend, honorable Edgar Biuo, we say thank you for your support, Today is not for long speech making, all I have to say is we will continue to thank those that have contributed to the success of this election. Chief Oteyagha, we say thank you, all the aspirants that stepped down for me to emerge as chairman, I say thank you, all the candidates who contested with me, I say thank you.

“The Eleco team ably led by Barrister Isu Joshua Festus, I say thank you for a job well done. This election is the beginning of the new dawn in Third Phase Delegates, I strongly believe from today Barrister Isu Joshua have introduced option A’ in our elections, I think that is more transparent and more credible. The Eleco chairman I say thank you for giving us another idea, and the Media team, Congress newspaper, I say thank you, I want to say from today being the tenth day of September 2025, Congress is going to be the official newspaper for the Third Phase under my leadership, and the security agents here present, I say thank you for keeping the atmosphere calm, and to my fellow general’s I want to say thank you and I want to use this opportunity to inform the house that on the 16th of September 2025 when we are fully inaugurated, all of us should have it in mind that our first point of call is to pay a thank you visit to our father, our mentor, High Chief Government Oweizide Ekpemupolo at Oporoza, and once again everybody that comes here, I say thank you and God bless you.