By Funkekeme Solomon 

When Plato, the fifth-century BCE philosopher, made the timeless pronouncement that “the beginning is half of the whole”, he may have had Rt. Hon. Sheriff Francis Orohwedor Oborevwori, Governor of Delta State, in mind.

Today, many people, especially watchers of politics in the state consider the series of victories recorded at various levels of the courts as a pointer to the fact that there is something unusual that borders on the divine about Oborevwori’s political trajectory. 

But his rise and ability to defeat and overcome all obstacles on his path began long before now. 

It started with his emergence as Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly in 2017. It was a classical case of winning against the run of play. Arrayed against him were not just his rivals but the numerous political heavyweights aligned with his rivals. To the consternation of all and against all permutations, Oborevwori prevailed on May 11, 2017, after the then Speaker, Rt. Hon. Monday Igbuya, was impeached.

The victory at the House of Assembly was more remarkable than what lay ahead for him. 

As a first termer, Oborevwori never reckoned with becoming Speaker of the House. However, his intrinsic qualities became manifest when the mantle of leadership fell on him. He is a man with exceptional leadership qualities and strong character without the elements of greed, corruption and selfishness. His innate inclination to operate an open-door policy, transparent, responsible and accountable leadership endeared him to many.

It was no surprise when the entire House unanimously re-elected him Speaker, a development that remains unprecedented in Delta. But it was not entirely a surprise.

The transparency he demonstrated in leadership created a harmonious relationship in the House as members and staff saw themselves as equal stakeholders in the task to make the legislature take its pride of place among the three arms of government while promoting peace, harmony and synergy between the Legislature and other arms. 

When Oborevwori eventually came in contact with our father in the Lord, Papa David Oyedepo, he received the prophetic declaration that despite the travails that will come his way, God has anointed him to become the governor of Delta State. At that time only the spiritually discerning could read the handwriting on the wall. 

To me, his emergence as Speaker was more meaningful. One of the few to read the divine script was Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa, then governor of Delta State and himself a child of grace. And he then promptly threw his hat into Oborevwori’s corner of the ring.

When Bishop Oyedepo made his prophetic declarations on Oborevwori, he made it clear that the path to the manifestation of his prophesy is strewn with thorns and numerous obstacles. As so it turned out to be, even beyond any other person seeking election into public office had ever had to go through. The tribulations came mainly by way of judicial harassment and outright lies about his credentials. From the pre-primaries litigations through screening by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) through the election and even after, Oborevwori has had to contend with legions of litigations that always ended at the apex court – the Supreme Court. The outcome was always the same – victory for Oborevwori.

After repeated failed bids to undo him, his rivals failed to realise the divine imprimatur in Oborevwori’s trajectory. In his attitude, he defies conventions, in his series of victories at the polls and the courts, he defies logic. After about 19 years of serving in several key government positions beginning in 1996 as a councillor in 1996, Oborevwori was made to fit the bill of the leader Delta State wants at this time. 

In 2015 when he came to the Delta State House of Assembly as a rookie lawmaker, nobody could have imagined that just two years later, he would be elected Speaker of the House reputed to be one of the most vibrant in the country. From that point, it was like Deltans had found pure gold and propelled him way beyond his dreams.

•Funkekeme, a former Commissioner for Works in Delta State, writes from Asaba.