A group under the auspices of Vanguard for Good Governance, has appealed to Deltans to try politicians with new ideas, stressing that the old politicians have tried and that it was time to change them.
The group in a statement by its Chairman, Dr Ebisan Omasan, said Delta State has not gotten to where it is supposed to be in terms of development.
According to the group, after the government of Chief James Onanefe Ibori who developed the state by building roads and bridges to link some riverine areas with the cities, successive governments have not been able to beat his developmental record in the state.
They gave examples of neighbouring Edo State who decided to change from the old politicians to new politicians which paid off as they began to experience good governance in the state.
They also lamented the situation whereby the state government uses the media to deceive people who are living outside the state by advertising projects that were not on ground.
They decried the politics of “I loyal” that is being practiced in the state where people just follow the government of the day because of what they can gain for themselves and not because of what they can do for the state.
The group said the rich oil city of Warri has been left abandoned by successive government stressing that there are no new roads in the city apart from the existing ones which have become motorists nightmare.
On the 2023 election, the group said the present crop of politicians have not done much for the state, appealing to the citizens to try another set of politicians from another political party.
They said looking at the gubernatorial candidates for the 2023 elections, one would discover that most of them are from the same party, insisting that they do not have anything new to bring to the table.
The statement reads in part; “Delta state is like a patient in an intensive care unit of the hospital. So she needs a very experienced doctor to handle her case. The days of sponsoring an unexpressed and unfocused person to the seat of power is over.
“In chosing our Governor, people that brought themselves forward on their own should be first considered. People like that gentle man who once put his life on the line when he was accused of plotting a coup at a young age.
“Today we heard that he is putting himself forward for governorship seat again. This is his fifth attempt to govern the state because he felt he won the election once but was kicked out by the court.
“We need principled and ideologically focused people to contest the Governorship seat in Delta. The days whereby any person goes is over. We have someone who opposed President Muhammadu Buhari’s results that brought him to power, and today that person is put in charge of the campaign team of someone who wants to be governor of the state. This is very sad.
“We should also look at those they bring out as their running mates. We don’t want people with questionable character who only join politics for their selfish gains. This set of people want to continue to be in the corridors of power so as to protect their loots and continue their ostentatious lifestyle to the detriment of the people.
“It is very sad that since Ibori left the the seat of power in our beloved state, the state has been weeping for development and it’s only someone that is outside that club that can bring the needed change that can make our beloved Delta great again.
“Delta state wants to smile again. We have tried two hands after the exit of our great son Chief James Ibori, but today that reserved bench is empty. We have to open our eyes because PDP and APC are like Siamese twins who are from the same parents.
“We want persons who didn’t get their wealth through playing politics. The state does not need an undertaker but a good doctor.“