BY DEBORAH COKER
An All Progressive Congress (APC) Chieftain in Delta, Dr Tonye Timi, says the Delta Political Vanguard (DPV) grassroots mobilisation is strengthening participatory democracy in the state.
Timi stated this in an interview on Saturday.
He noted that the strength of democracy laid not only in elections, but in the capacity of citizens and organised political platforms to participate responsibly in shaping the future of their communities, state and nation.
“DPV has demonstrated that grassroots organisation remains an important component of this process and has, over the years, established itself as a significant grassroots political platform in the political evolution of Delta.
“Its history of political engagement and mobilisation has been closely associated with the emergence of three successive governors of the state, beginning from Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan and Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, to the incumbent Sheriff Oborevwori,” he said.
Timi also said that the strategic role played by the vanguard in the political processes was a reflection of the strength of organised grassroots participation in elective democracy.
According to him, with a network of members and supporters across the wards and communities in the state, DPV has demonstrated the capacity to mobilise, connect political leadership with the people and contribute meaningfully to political engagement at the grassroots.
“Against this background, the commitment expressed by DPV at its meeting of Sept. 30 to support the re-election bid of President Bola Tinubu, Oborevwori and other All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates in the 2027 general elections is significant.
“I commend this commitment and believe that it deserves constructive support from the various political and support groups across Delta.
“It is particularly important that the activities of these groups are properly coordinated so that their individual strengths, networks and grassroots structures can complement one another in promoting effective political participation and democratic engagement,” he said.
Timi further stated that the 2027 general elections would be significant to the political and developmental trajectory of Delta and Nigeria.
“It will present an opportunity for citizens and political organisations to engage meaningfully with the democratic process and articulate their aspirations for continuity, stability, development and good governance.
“I therefore align myself with the resolutions arising from the meeting of DPV and recognise the importance of the platform’s decision to participate actively in the 2027 electoral process,” he added.
The APC chieftain advised political actors in the state to place the interest of Delta in particular and Nigeria in general above individual considerations.
He also advised them to work together, respect the rule of law and conduct their activities
peacefully and responsibly.
Jude Ossai (JP) a veteran journalist is a National Diploma holder in Mass Communication from Ogwashi-Uku Polytechnic Ogwashi-Uku, Delta State. He also studied at Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) Enugu and Imo State University, Owerri for his first and second degrees in Mass Communication, respectively.
He writes extensively on politics, crime, corruption, climate change, healthcare, human rights, social justice, among others.
He began his journalism career in The Republic Newspaper, Lagos in 1987 as a Special Correspondent in Benin City, Edo State.
In 1990, he was posted from Lagos to old Anambra State as a State Correspondent in Enugu.
In 1994, he joined the African Newspapers of Nigeria (ANN) Plc, Ibadan, Oyo State, Publisher of Nigerian Tribune Newspapers where he rose to the rank of Southeast Bureau Chief.
Retiring from the mainstream traditional media in 2019, he began another journey in online newspaper publication.
He was the Overall Best Reporter in 2015, an award bestowed on him by Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Enugu State.
He has attended several workshops/seminars organised by multi-nationals, government institutions, local and international media including BBC.
He is also a unionist and had held top positions as Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Union of Journalists of Enugu Correspondents’ Chapel and State Council of NUJ, respectively. He was also a one-time Enugu State Secretary of Sports Writers’ Association of Nigeria (SWAN).
