On Saturday, March 11, according to the Independent National Electoral Commission, voters in Delta State will again troop out to elect a new governor to lead the state for the next four years. On the same day, they will be electing a new set of lawmakers into the State House of Assembly.

However, our attention here will be focused on the man who will be the Chief Executive Officer of Delta State, for the next four years.

To be very frank, when we talk of leadership recruitment for the next dispensation, March 11, must be seen as a date with destiny for Deltans because it offers the rare opportunity to undo the slavish chain that has held the state down and made it impossible for her to make meaningful progress and experience reasonable development.

Thus, March 11, must not come and go as another day of enthroning or merely endorsing the “boi-boi of any wannabe god-father”.

More than ever before, Delta State must now intentionally enthrone and empower through the ballot box, someone who is more than ‘just average’ in terms of Key Performance Indicators in leadership. Not an incompetent lackey and minion of a starry-eyed, power drunk and egocentric Lord of the Manor.

It is a moment, to say it loud and in very clear and unambiguous terms, that Delta State no more has a place for any aspiring leader who is more known to be unimaginative, visionless, lacks drive and charisma and leadership acumen.

Therefore, necessity imposes on Deltans the need to go beyond ‘just average’. The least Deltans can go for now should be something far way better than anyone who over the past decade has the opportunity to prove his mettle but has miserably failed to do so.

It is common knowledge that the ruling party has worked assiduously to project and present to Deltans, not the very best within its fold. What Deltans have as an option from the ruling party in the state is a choice of an individual who deployed the weight and influence of his office to impose same on all and sundry to the chagrin of others who have not such leverage provided by power and office.

For whatever reason, which many vouched bothered on vindictiveness, every imaginable obstacle was imported and placed on the path of obviously better equipped, more cerebral and undoubtedly more knowledgeable aspirants just to pave the way for the emergence of a pliable, malleable individual for the purposes of self preservation.

Deltans must loudly refuse to endorse such shenanigan. To do otherwise is to offer for sale at a ridiculously cheap price, one’s conscience, pride, dignity and thinking ability.

The minimum irreducible leadership quality expected of the next governor of the state should no more be ‘just average’.

Indeed, we should ask ourselves, how long will Delta State continue to wear the toga of ‘a big for nothing oil producing state?’ How long shall Delta be the butt of cruel jokes that she lacks requisite infrastructure notwithstanding her huge earnings. Time to join the big league is now and that means Deltans, including this writer, cannot afford to vote for a man considered to be “just average”.

This is very fundamental. It is, in fact, something that cannot be dismissed with a wave of the hand anymore because too much is at stake. Delta has a lot of ‘catching up’ to do.

And it is in this context that mention must be made of the current Deputy Senate President, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, the gubernatorial candidate and RT Hon Friday Osaia Osanebi of the All Progressives Congress, as a fitting round peg in a round hole for the present moment. He comes across as the man who fits the bill. And should be crowned by Deltans come March 11.

For Delta State, blessed with abundant natural resources; innovative, highly skilled and creative man power, vast arable land and a comforting climate largely devoid of natural disasters, it is time for the people to break clean with the recent leadership experience that verges on mediocrity, myopia, egocentric, primitive acquisition, hero-worship and inexplicable ambition to play god by foisting an obvious laggard on all known leadership KPI on a sophisticated set of people such as Deltans.

Deltans owe it a duty, not just to themselves but their children and generations yet unborn, never to join the bandwagon of praise singers in legitimising on March 11, an obvious-disaster-in-waiting, a handpicked boi-boi candidate that is primed to do nothing else but attend to the selfish and primordial biddings of a wanna-be god father and his court of jesters.

Deltans owe it a duty to reject any candidate of questionable and dubious identity, whose only claim to leadership is his unflattering willingness to lick the boots of his supposed godfather and his cohorts.

Delta State needs a man who is endowed with the power of critical thinking, visionary leader, someone who is perceptive, pro-active, courageous and that can clearly articulate and translate such thoughts into realizable plans. Obarisi Ovie Omo-Agege is that person.

Delta needs a man whose exposure and world views are not stunted by medieval disposition that seeks rent on just everything and anything and anywhere at any time. Delta needs a man who is indeed, his own man, and can’t be led by the nose by those who seek to peddle undue influence when they become yesterday’s men. Obarisi Ovie Omo-Agege is the man.

The revolution, or so to say, which began with the Presidential and National Assembly elections on February 25 must be sustained to a logical end. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo it was who said “Never reinforce failure”. From all available indices, the administration in the state in the last eight years, has failed, and spectacularly so. It is on that note that Deltans must be weary of the product from the same stable that is being offered to Deltans. It is a Greek Gift that must be thoroughly and firmly rejected.

With the compelling need to reject the substandard article being offered by the powers that be, Deltans are enjoined to look no further. In Obarisi Ovie Omo-Agege you have a man with fully developed biceps, big, strong and broad enough to shoulder the great demands and responsibilities of being Governor of Delta State from May 29.