Re-election: 2026 budget will decide Ijaw support – Mulade Tells Oborevwori

By Monday Peters, Abuja

A prominent Ijaw leader, Comrade (Chief) Mulade Sheriff, PhD, has warned Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori that Ijaw votes in the 2027 governorship election will be determined by projects allocated and adequately funded in the 2026 budget in Ijaw communities in the state.

Mulade Sheriff, Ibe Sorimowei of Gbaramatu Kingdom, made the statement at a press briefing after an expanded stakeholders meeting in Warri. He commended Oborevwori’s infrastructural development in upland areas but lamented the lack of development in riverine areas, despite their population density and revenue contributions.

He cited examples of neglected Ijaw communities, including Ogulagha, Torugbene, and Oporoza, which host multinational oil and gas companies. Mulade Sheriff urged Oborevwori to include projects like the Ayakoromo bridge, Omadino-Okerenkoko-Kokodiagbene-Escravos road, and a first-class Health Centre/General Hospital in Ogulagha Town in the 2026 budget.

He also appealed for the upgrading of Delta State Maritime Polytechnic, Burutu, to the campus of Delta State University, Abraka, and building a campus of Dennis Osadebe University at Koko. Mulade Sheriff assured Oborevwori of 100% Ijaw votes in 2027 if these projects are included in the budget, emphasizing that Ijaw communities have created a conducive atmosphere for oil and gas production, making Delta the richest state.