Delta 2023: Group debunks rumoured stepdown of Otuaro, warns fake news peddlers

By Timi Black
Chief Correspondent

A political pressure group ,the Greater Delta Project (GDP) has debunked the rumour making round in the social media space that the Deputy governor of Delta State, His excellency Barr Kingsley Burutu Otuaro, has been asked to stepdown from the governorship race in the state.

The statement which was titled: “DELTA 2023: PLEASE DISREGARD ANY INFORMATION ABOUT OTUARO BEING ASKED TO STEPDOWN: FAKE NEWS PEDDLERS ON THE PROWL” dated 15th March, 2022, said nobody has asked the deputy governor, Barr Otuaro to stepdown, adding that the public should disregard such rumour calculated to cause disarray in the teeming support for Barr Otuaro’s governorship ambition.

The group’s spokesman Lawson Awipi, pointed out, “the fact that, the Deputy Governor is even opening his state-of-the-art and ultra- modern campaign office in Asaba, the State capital today being the 15th of March, 2022, with Party faithfuls from all the 25 LGAs being mobilized with supporters within and outside the State to grace the occasion shows that the rumour is fake”.

According to the group, “The story making the round in some online media forum that Gov. Okowa has picked his successor and that the Deputy Governor, His Excellency, Deacon Kingsley Burutu Otuaro has been asked to stop campaigning for his guber ambition is a fake news manufactured by stomach hustlers in politics. The peddler of such fake news, one Fejiro Oliver is a known glorified fake news courier.

“This fake news courier is just a self-professed investigative journalist who is being used as a pawn in the political chessboard by some misfortune political hustlers. Fejiro Oliver and other of his irks have been hired by these misfortune politicians in the game to propagate false information in the State in order to score cheap political points. The race is too hot for them; thus, they have to resort to emotional blackmails in order to keep their social media governorship ambitions afloat.

“We are not surprised because not only Otuaro is the victim of these fake news binge. Nearly all the leading aspirants in the PDP guber primary in Delta State have become victims of media assault, stories cooked up by these pawns who are hired to do the hatchet job. Kingsley Burutu Otuaro is not only in the race but is the aspirant to beat. God willing, Deltans will give him the Party ticket to contest the general elections in 2023.

“As a matter of fact, the Deputy Governor is even opening his state-of-the-art and ultra- modern campaign office in Asaba the State capital today being the 15th of March, 2022. Party faithful from all the 25 LGAs have been mobilized with supporters within and outside the State are invited to grace the occasion. The event in itself which is first in the history of this State is going to be a fanfare of conviviality as Deltans are too eager to show their unflinching supports for their preferred governorship aspirant in the 2023 guber race.

“We make bold to say that Governor Okowa has not endorsed any aspirant. The Governor in his divine wisdom and innate leadership charisma has has made himself a father to all aspirants in the race. He has assured Deltans in many occasions that the race is going to be free and fair and only God’s anointed will fly the PDP flag in the State. Just as the Governor has always told Deltans that not him but God Almighty knows who will succeed him, we want Deltans to always note that it’s only God and not some fake news peddlers in the social media that gives power.

“The general public is hereby enjoined to disregard the fake news about Otuaro being asked to stop campaigning or stepdown. The Deputy Governor is in the race to the end and by God’s grace, will fly the Party ticket through the magnanimity of Deltans. We shall all celebrate the next level of good governance, by continuing the sterling legacies of Governor Okowa’s Stronger Delta mantra”, he added.