Chiazor’s reply to my mid-term report on Oborevwori, ‘insults replacing governance’- Ken Pela 

 

By Watchmann

The 2023 governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in Delta State and Initiator of ‘Vision Better Delta Movement’, Deacon Kennedy Pela, has publicly responded to criticism from the Delta State government regarding his mid-term report on Governor Oborevwori’s administration.

In a statement, Pela characterized the government’s response as indicative of a disregard for governance, suggesting that it was laden with personal attacks rather than addressing the substantive issues he raised.

Pela emphasized that his report was intended as a civic audit aimed at calling for accountability and offering a road map for reform, rather than a political attack. He accused the governor’s media aide, Norbert Chiazor, of failing to engage with the evidence presented in his report and instead resorting to personal insults and unfounded allegations. Pela asserted that his initiative, the ‘Vision Better Delta Movement’, aims to foster transparency, economic competitiveness, and social inclusion in the state.

In his critique, Pela highlighted several unanswered questions regarding transparency in the management of state finances and the efficacy of the Oborevwori administration’s projects. He expressed disappointment that, instead of addressing these pressing issues, the state government chose to respond with “drama” and attacks on his character.

Pela also took the opportunity to address the allegation of been defeated in the 2023 governorship election, insisting that he was not defeated but rather rigged out due to widespread voter intimidation and fraudulent practices.

He concluded by reiterating his commitment to the Vision Better Delta Movement’ aiming to drive reform and accountability, and calling on citizens to join him in this effort.

*Read the full Statement Below*

RESPONSE TO NORBERT CHIAZOR’S ATTACK: WHEN INSULT REPLACES GOVERNANCE

It is unfortunate though not surprising — that my call for transparency, accountability, and long-term vision has provoked a personalized outburst devoid of substance. The piece attributed to Mr. Norbert Chiazor, a known aide to Governor Oborevwori, is not only petty and poorly argued — it is a telling example of the very crisis of governance we are trying to address.

Let’s be clear: if Mr. Chiazor had taken the time to read the documents I released or watch the accompanying presentations, he would have realized that this was not an ordinary political critique. It was a detailed, evidence-based civic intervention — a public audit anchored in facts, statistics, and a strategic roadmap for reform.

Instead, he reached for the lowest rung — hurling old and unfounded allegations, recycling partisan insults, and inventing distractions to avoid answering the real questions Deltans are now asking.
I Came With Substance. They Responded With Smear.

At the launch of the Vision Better Delta Movement (VBDM) on the 31st of July, I presented to the people of Delta:
A 27-page Mid-Term Report Card – Letter to Deltans #3 – backed by 68 footnotes and credible data sources.
A 14-page Vision Better Delta 2039 Abridged Master Plan, outlining how Delta can become Africa’s most transparent, economically competitive, and socially inclusive subnational entity.
An 86-page Job Creation Manual, showing how — through our 8 Prosperity Drivers — we can:
*Increase annual GDP by over ₦24–₦29.2 trillion
*Create over 7.5 million cumulative jobs
*Empower over 360,000 microenterprises
*Impact over 3 million through wage reform, skills, and enterprise incentives
*Turn every LGA into a job-creation hub
*Transform Delta into a model of subnational prosperity

4. A comparative Case Study between Dubai and Delta, highlighting the role of visionary leadership and clear planning.
In total, I brought facts, frameworks, and a forward-looking vision. In return, the government sent Norbert Chiazor — not to debate the evidence, but to throw stones from a glass house.

They Expected the Old Kind of Opposition. What They Got Was a Movement Backed with Facts.
For decades, Deltans have witnessed a predictable pattern: opposition voices are dismissed as “noise,” and smear campaigns are rolled out to distract from the real issues.

The reaction to the VBDM launch shows they expected more of the same — “cho cho cho,” as they call it. What they didn’t expect was a people-powered platform backed by research, structure, and strategic clarity.

That is why their media team, over-bloated and overpaid, responds not with data but with drama. Governance by propaganda is no substitute for performance.

14 Questions They Still Haven’t Answered
After all the vituperation from a media aide trying to earn his pay, here are the civic questions my Letter raised — and which remain unanswered:
1. Do we have transparency and accountability in the management of Delta’s finances?
2. Is it false that “Transparency remains elusive, with limited public access to spending data or audited accounts”?
3. Can vague claims of “bridges, roads, grants, schools” justify over ₦1.5 trillion received in 2 years — almost equal to the ₦1.7 trillion received by the entire South East states combined?
4. Despite the disparity in revenue, can you compare the developments in Delta State in the last 2 years to the individual developments in just Enugu and Abia States?
5. Is it incorrect to say: “Infrastructure must be distributed, durable, transparent, and aligned with people’s needs. On this score, the Oborevwori administration is falling short”?
6. Do they not prioritize high-visibility projects that favor political optics over rural needs, oil-producing communities, or transport diversification?
7. Is the statement false that: “Absence of transparent procurement, patchy quality of works, and neglect of longstanding critical projects point to failure”?
8. Despite the claims of ‘wealth creation’, is it a lie that “31% of Deltans remain multidimensionally poor”?
9. Is it untrue that “Until we move from emergency handouts to evidence-based inclusion, poverty will remain politicized”?
10. After 2 years, where are the industrial parks, enterprise hubs, or agro-processing zones? Do they have a job creation plan to match the VBDM Prosperity Drivers?
For example, can they produce a step-by-step plan for the Power and Gas sector comparable to what we have outlined — with strategic initiatives, phased implementation, and job/economic impact estimates — as shown for the Power and Gas Utilization Driver on pages 7–18 of the VBDM Job Creation Manual, reproduced as Appendix 1 to this statement?
11. Can they show a comparable step-by-step plan like we have for Power and Gas that forecasts: ₦3.5–₦4.0 trillion in value, 800,000 jobs, universal power access, and ₦600bn in annual productivity gains?
12. Is the Dubai–Delta comparisons truly out of place? Or are they afraid of the mirror visionary leadership holds up?
13. What exactly is the vision of this administration? What does the M.O.R.E Agenda mean — beyond a catchy slogan?
14. Have the ₦1.3 trillion alleged missing funds been accounted for? And what explains the hasty defection to the APC — a party that’s become a sanctuary for the unaccountable?
Now Let’s Talk About the 2023 Election
To people like Norbert Chiazor, holding on to the illusion that I was “defeated” at the 2023 governorship polls, let the facts speak:
Despite the institutionalized vote-buying before the elections, the open, brazen vote-buying on election day, and the serious violence and voter intimidation recorded across the state, I secured 48,027 lawful votes — not purchased, not inflated, not stolen. These were real votes from real citizens who stood for something different.
Let us not forget: turnout for the presidential election just weeks earlier was over 628,000, and Labour Party won Delta State by a landslide with over 341,000 votes. Yet, in the governorship election where it was obvious to the blind and audible to the deaf that turnout dropped to less than 20% (at an estimated 125,000 votes), with widespread reports of suppression and disenfranchisement, yet the total results magically went up to 671,000 votes.
They know in their hearts what happened:
Labour Party votes were suppressed, In many places, LP results were converted to PDP; and PDP (and APC) votes were systematically inflated across strongholds.
So, no — I did not lose. I was rigged out. And by 2027, the truth will speak louder than spin and defecting to APC will not save them. It will be the people versus those in Government.
And About That Old Allegation…
As for the oft-recycled allegation from 2009: I renew the public challenge I made before the 2023 elections, — if the Delta State Government really believes I stole ₦100 million, they should arrest me and charge me to court. Not just whisper and smear whenever it suits their narrative.
What they won’t tell you is that under my leadership, Delta Building Society was transformed — for the first time in its history — from a perpetually loss-making organization, into a profit-making mortgage finance institution, posting over ₦45 million in profits within our first 9 months. That is what real stewardship looks like.

This Is Bigger Than Politics. It Has Always Been About the People.
“Some may wonder why — as one who should today be the leading voice of opposition in Delta State — I would offer such detailed advice to the very government I seek to hold accountable.
But for me, this has never been about rivalry. It has always been about responsibility. I love this state too much to remain silent in the face of underperformance.

If any part of this report inspires action, improves lives, or restores trust in governance, then it has served its purpose. Because true leadership is not defined by position, but by conviction. And if Delta wins, we all win.
That is why I am joining hands with citizens across our state to build the Vision Better Delta Movement — a non-partisan, citizen-led platform to drive reform, co-create solutions, and ensure accountability at every level”.
If only the government could see the sincerity in these words and learn from the “expo” we are offering, these media brick-bats would be entirely unnecessary — and Delta would be better off for it.
Final Words
Governance is not about making noise — but it is certainly not about silencing questions. The Vision Better Delta Movement is not a campaign vehicle. It is not a personal ambition. It is a civic platform. And no amount of propaganda will wish away the reality it represents.
You cannot bully your way out of a governance deficit.
You cannot insult your way into legitimacy. You cannot rewrite a legacy with press statements.

Delta deserves better. And deep down, even Norbert knows it.
So, once again…
“…to Governor Oborevwori:
You still have two years. Lead boldly, or risk being remembered not for your promises, but for missed opportunity.
Choose legacy over loyalty. Reform over routine. Transparency over theatrics. Performance over propaganda.
The clock is ticking — and Delta is watching”.

God bless Nigeria.
God bless Delta State.
God bless all who labour to reclaim her from the years of waste and underdevelopment.

Kawhariebie Ken Pela
Initiator & Lead Visionary
Vision Better Delta Movement
2nd August 2025

A better Delta is PO-ssible