Deputy Governor Kingsley Otuaro of Delta State has appealed to residents of the state to disregard the fake news spreading across Delta that he has been told to step down in the governorship race to succeed Governor Ifeanyi Okowa in 2023. The deputy governor noted that the fake news is being peddled by a sponsored investigative journalist working to promote the interests of certain politicians in the state.
The Public Affairs Director of the Greater Delta Project (GDP), Lawson Awipi, in a statement on behalf of Deputy Governor Otuaro, declared: “The story making the round in some online media forum that Gov. Okowa has picked his successor and that the Deputy Governor, Deacon Kingsley Burutu Otuaro, has been asked to stop campaigning for his gubernatorial 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 unfortunate 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 only victim of this fake news binge. Nearly all the leading aspirants in the PDP gubernatorial 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.”
The group emphasized that the Deputy Governor opened his state-of-the-art and ultra-modern campaign office in Asaba, Delta State, on Tuesday. Party faithful from all the 25 local government areas were mobilized with their supporters within and outside the State for the occasion. The event in itself which is first in the history of this State was said to be a fanfare of conviviality as Deltans were too eager to show their unflinching support for their preferred governorship aspirant in the 2023 gubernatorial race.
The greater delta Project declared: “Governor Okowa has not endorsed any aspirant. The Governor in his divine wisdom and innate leadership charisma has made himself a father to all aspirants in the race. He has assured Deltans on 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.”