It is the classic tale of Kate Hardcastle, a young upper-class girl who deliberately lowers herself—stoops to win affection. Kate disguises herself as a barmaid to test the true character of the charming Charles Marlow. By humility rather than hauteur, she triumphs. Love is won. Hola, harmony!
In many ways, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori has lived out that metaphor in Delta politics.
Here is a man vested with enormous power: governor of oil-rich Delta.Favoured face of fame and fortune.
Yet, rather than govern with vainglory, he has chosen to woo both the mighty and the meek.
Political heavyweights in Delta Central, Delta South, and Delta North are quietly, and sometimes loudly, aligning ahead of 2027.
In Delta North, the picture is the clearest. Ex-governor, Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, power broker of the zone, is rooting for Oborevwori once again. Just like in 2023, when he played a central role in the emergence of the governor.
Senator Ned Nwoko, audacious, resource-laden, and nationally connected, has declared his support for Oborevwori’s re-election.
Senator Peter Nwaoboshi, before his demise, had aligned in affirmation.
Chief Nkem Okwuofu (Aguwanyi), the matron-matriarch of Delta politics, is mobilizing yet again. Like a seasoned midwife, she has helped deliver every civilian governor since 1992: Ibru, Ibori, Uduaghan, Okowa, and now Oborevwori.
Rt. Hon. Victor Ochei, one of Anioma’s political gladiators, is firmly in the fold. The Ndokwa/Ukwuani axis is drumming loud support.
In Delta South, especially the Ijaw area, Tompolo, the most dreaded ex-Niger Delta militant leader, is at peace with Sheriff. Generally, Ijaws are holding the creeks for the governor.
Among the Itsekiri, former governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, Chief Joseph Otumara, Chief Solomon Arenyeka, and others are leading Oborevwori’s cause. I interviewed the Olu of Warri recently. The charismatic monarch radiates warmth for Oborevwori—symbolized memorably by his royal scooter ride on the Ode-Itsekiri road built by the governor.
Moreover, blessings from Delta kings are upon Oborevwori for one reason: He bows genuinely.
Isoko elites and folks, known for their bandwagon and coordinated voting patterns, are for Oborevwori. After all, Mrs. Tobore Oborevwori is Isoko.
Even Delta Central, the headquarters of opposition politics in Delta, is softening stance in favour of their son, Oborevwori, ahead of 2027.
And while Chief James Ibori, the legendary mascot of Delta politics, may no longer be overtly partisan, his father-son bond with Oborevwori deepens by the day.
But how can we forget 2023?…
The crucibles that forged Sheriff’s governorship.
An unspeakable saga—a storm without precedent. At the PDP governorship primary of 2022, no fewer than 18 aspirants stood uncompromising. When the dust settled, Oborevwori rose.
The general election—fiercer still. He carried the PDP banner into a high-stakes duel against Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, colourful Deputy Senate President and then APC flag bearer, the ruling party at the centre. It was power versus persistence. Structure versus stamina.
Victory came swiftly. But peace did not.
Litigation descended upon Sheriff—53 court cases! An electoral onslaught never seen in the history of Delta politics.
Again, Oborevwori emerged, not merely as a winner, but a survivor.
Two forces preserved him through the tempest: divine mercy and mirth. A man of easy laughter, his posture open, unburdened by grudges.
His famed street credibility philosophy, once dismissed by critics, has become a liberal asset in governing Nigeria’s most complex state.
And Deltans have noticed.
From solid social infrastructure, human capital development, and peace-building initiatives, Oborevwori is not merely administering Delta—he is stitching it together.
He is living the promise: Governor for All Deltans.
While tomorrow rests solely in the sovereign hands of the Almighty, the signs on the political horizon are loud and clear—impossible to ignore!
Governor Oborevwori, indisputable leader of Delta APC, may well face no formidable challenger in 2027. A governor by consensus.
Like Goldsmith’s Kate Hardcastle, Oborevwori “stoops to conquer.” Not with tricks, but tactics.