Leaders, faithful and supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party have openly showed awareness and admitted that Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State belongs to the party, even as they assured of their total support for all the candidates in the 2023 elections.
The PDP faithful spoke at different times on Tuesday when the PDP in Delta State took its campaign for 2023 further.
The Delta State PDP Campaign Team berthed in Burutu, headquarters of the Local Government Area, acknowledging that the area has witnessed tremendous development in physical and human capital development, which were not there seven years ago.
The State Deputy Governor, Kingsley Otuaro, said the PDP had built a stronghold in the area through its developmental policies, pointing out that he can testify to the efforts of the party to change the fortunes of the Council Area and make it an enviable place.
Otuaro said: “PDP has worked and has developed the area and the people.
“I can confidently say this because I am part of the Government, and I know what the government has done to improve lives and properties in Burutu.”
Also speaking, a notable PDP chieftain and leader in the area, Chief P. Y. Biakpara, said the leadership of the party in the area had never deviated in its support for the party and will always do so, irrespective of who emerges the governorship candidate.
Urging the party to always verify and not just fall for any person or persons who come to them as leaders of the Ijaws, Chief Biakpara said: “We the Ijaws, especially those of us from Burutu, have always given our support to the party, and we will do that again in 2023.
“We have accepted all the candidates of the party.
“We will vote for the Atiku Abubakar and Ifeanyi Okowa presidential ticket, the governorship candidate, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, and his running mate, Sir Monday Onyeme, the senatorial candidate of the party in Delta South Senatorial District and those for the House of Representatives and House of Assembly.
“We are ready as always to deliver our party.
“Let me use this opportunity to tell you, to examine those who come to you in the name of Ijaw solidarity.
“Always ask for who in Ijawland are their backers.”
On his part, a former governorship aspirant and one-time Commissioner in the State, Chief Braduce Angozi, called on the party faithful, especially those who aspired to represent the people but lost, to come out and give their support to the party.
Braduce, who begged to speak in the Ijaw language to his people, told them that there was no need to play the opposition, especially in a place where the PDP has built a stronghold and touched the lives of the people.
He said: “Burutu is PDP, and it has been so.
“We had enjoyed the dividends of democracy due to the policies of the party all these years.
“We have benefitted and our party is the only choice we have.
“I have been aspiring to govern the State, but have not succeeded.
“However, I have not decamped or taught of decamping to another party because of that.
“I, therefore, urge all members of the party to come together and work for the success of the party.”
Meanwhile, one of the supporters of the party and leader of a youth group in Burutu, Patrick Ogulabai, appreciated the State Government for its efforts in developing the human capital of the people.
Ogulabai said that beside some of the infrastructural developments in the area, the government, under the PDP, especially under Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, the human capital development had greatly touched youths, who are now self-employed in various trades because of the training that was given to them.
He declared: “Apart from physical infrastructure, we have benefitted much in the area of human capital development.
“The youths of Burutu have been trained in different trades and they have become entrepreneurs and contributing to the economy of the State.
“Look, there is no opposition in Burutu.
“I can confirm that.
“Even in the next dispensation, we will benefit from the Government of PDP.
“I assure you that more appointments will come to us.’
“For this, we will continue to vote for the PDP, and we will vote for all the candidates of the party.”
