By Egufe Yafugborhi & Ochuko Akuopha, ASABA
A lecturer at Arden University, United Kingdom, Dr. Emmanuel Unuafe, Friday, emerged as the gubernatorial candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, in Delta State.
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Unuafe, 45, picked the party’s ticket after he emerged as consensus candidate of the party at a governorship primary held in Asaba, the state capital.
Chairman of the ADC Screening And Primary Election Committee in Delta State, Mr. Jerry Ojale who announced Unuafe winner said he satisfied the party’s requirements without opposition in the primary election.
He said: “the party has its guidelines and we have our party constitution. Many people indicated interest, so when we passed through the processes, we found out that only one person qualified.”
On speculations over factions in the State’s APC, Ojale said: “We have only one Delta State chairman of the party whose name is on the INEC portal; Engr Austin Okolie.
“There is no other person there. We have only one Delta State Secretariat here in Asaba and this is the place. If there is faction, l am not aware.”
In his remarks, Chairman of the party, Austin Okolie described the success of the primary election as a new dawn in Delta State.
In his victory remarks, the Delt APC candidate, Unuafe said he is committed, with a viable rescue plan, to make Delta State an economic powerhouse that will improve lives of the people.
His remarks: “Growing up in the village, I was not born with silver spoon. For the party to have entrusted me their mandate, it is our vision that ADC will take over power to redeem, improve living conditions in Delta State.
“It is our vision to diversify our economy from oil and gas to agriculture. The new law exempts agro businesses from paying tax. That means those going to into meaningful agriculture will have more money in their pockets. And this is our vision, to expand agriculture.
“I don’t believe in godfather. I don’t have one. It’s my administration’s commitment to ensure that a child of a common man will aspire to be leaders in Delta.”
To improve the economy he said he would also expand opportunities in the blue economy in riverine Delta.
Towards making Delta state an economic power house not only in Africa, but in the global, Unuafe pledged to “Invest in our rural areas, primary healthcare, agro export promotion to create more jobs and improve the economy.”
He is pained that once booming businesses in Delta ports, Asaba textile Mill, Delta Glass and more which gave the state pride are collapsed today due to neglect.
Unuafe added that he will use his position as a football referee in the UK to build foreign collaborations to boost sports talent discovery in Delta.
He emphasised, “We will invest more on digitising government operations because there are leakages in our system. When we digitise, we will tighten the leakages, have more money in our coffers to improve the welfare of our workers and living standard of the people.
“While I was working on my nomination form, I went to the court ot sign some documents and I was broken at the poor condition of the Judiciary. My administration would ensure our workers are well looked after.”
Article DELTA: UK varsity don emerges ADC candidate Live On NgGossips.
