A United Kingdom-based university lecturer, Dr Emmanuel Unuafe, has emerged as the governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the 2027 general elections in Delta State.
Unuafe, a lecturer at Arden University, secured the party’s ticket after emerging as the consensus candidate during the party’s governorship primary held in Asaba on Friday, May 22.
The Chairman of the party’s Screening and Primary Election Committee in Delta State, Mr Jerry Ojale, who announced the outcome of the exercise, said that Unuafe met all constitutional and procedural requirements set by the party.
According to Ojale, “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.”
This is even as Ojale dismisses the alleged divisions and factionalisation within the party in the state.
He said, “We have only one Delta State Chairman of the party whose name is on the INEC portal; Engr Austin Okolie.
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“There is no other person there. We have only one Delta State Secretariat here in Asaba, and this is the place. If there is a faction, I am not aware.”
Meanwhile, Okolie described the successful conduct of the primary as a turning point for the ADC in the state, expressing optimism about the party’s chances ahead of the election.
In his acceptance speech, Unuafe pledged to reposition Delta State economically and improve the living conditions of residents through agriculture, technology, healthcare and rural development.
“Growing up in the village, I was not born with a silver spoon. For the party to have entrusted me with their mandate, it is our vision that ADC will take over power to redeem and improve living conditions in Delta State,” he said.
The governorship candidate said his administration would focus on diversifying the state’s economy beyond oil and gas by investing heavily in agriculture and agro-based businesses.
“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 into meaningful agriculture will have more money in their pockets,” Unuafe stated.
Rejecting the influence of political godfathers, he added, “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 a leader in Delta.”
He also promised to develop the blue economy in the riverine areas of the state, while pledging investments in rural communities, primary healthcare and agro-export promotion to create jobs and strengthen the economy.
Unuafe lamented the collapse of several once-thriving industries in the state, including the Asaba Textile Mill and Delta Glass, attributing their decline to years of neglect.
Speaking further, he said he intends to leverage his experience as a football referee in the United Kingdom to establish international partnerships aimed at discovering and nurturing sports talents in Delta State.
“We will invest more in 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 the living standard of the people,” he added.
He also expressed concern over the condition of the judiciary in the state, promising reforms that would improve the welfare and working environment of judicial workers.
