A lecturer at Arden University, Dr. Emmanuel Unuafe, on Friday emerged as the governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Delta State.
Unuafe, 45, clinched the party’s ticket after emerging as the consensus candidate during the party’s governorship primary held in Asaba.
Chairman of the ADC Screening and Primary Election Committee in Delta State, Mr. Jerry Ojale, who announced the result, said Unuafe satisfied all requirements of the party without opposition.
“The party has its guidelines and we have our constitution. Many people indicated interest, but after going through the processes, we found out that only one person qualified,” Ojale said.
Speaking on speculations about factions within the party in Delta State, Ojale dismissed the claims, insisting that the party remained united under the leadership recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“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. If there is faction, I am not aware,” he stated.
In his remarks, the Delta State Chairman of the party, Austin Okolie, described the successful conduct of the primary election as a new dawn for the state.
In his acceptance speech, Unuafe pledged to reposition Delta State economically through agriculture, technology, sports development and investments in rural communities.
“Growing up in the village, I was not born with a silver spoon. For the party to have entrusted me with its 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 from dependence on oil and gas to agriculture.
“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,” he added.
Unuafe also promised to expand opportunities in the blue economy, particularly in riverine communities across the state.
According to him, his administration would prioritise investments in rural infrastructure, primary healthcare and agro-export promotion to create jobs and boost the economy.
He lamented the collapse of once-thriving businesses and industries in the state, including the Asaba Textile Mill and Delta Glass, attributing their decline to years of neglect.
Unuafe further disclosed plans to leverage his position as a football referee in the United Kingdom to build foreign collaborations aimed at promoting sports talent discovery 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 and have more money to improve the welfare of workers and the living standard of the people,” he said.
He also expressed concern over the condition of the judiciary in the state, saying he was shocked by the poor state of facilities when he recently visited a court to sign nomination documents.
“My administration will ensure that our workers are well looked after,” he added.
