Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori has linked his administration’s 13th-month salary package for workers to support for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 general elections, declaring that civil servants have “no choice” but to vote for the party.
Oborevwori made the remarks on Thursday in Asaba during the inauguration of the Delta State APC Campaign Council, where he unveiled “MORE Plus” as the theme of his re-election campaign.
The governor, who chairs the campaign council, argued that the additional salary payment was a significant benefit that should encourage workers to support the continuation of his administration.
“Today civil servants have no choice not to vote us. They have no choice. 13th month (salary) is huge, times two. Some people don’t understand what 13th month,” he said.
Explaining the package, Oborevwori said eligible workers would receive double their regular monthly salary in December, adding that political appointees, public servants and civil servants were covered.
“What you’re receiving now is times two in December. That is the meaning of 13th month. Whether you’re an appointee, whether a public servant, whether a civil servant, you’re receiving your 13th month,” he said.
The governor’s comments placed the workers’ welfare package at the centre of the APC’s campaign message ahead of the 2027 elections.
He also charged members of the campaign council to take President Bola Tinubu’s message to the grassroots and mobilise support across electoral wards and polling units.
Oborevwori described their appointments as a call to service, urging them to work with unity, discipline and dedication to secure victory for Tinubu, himself and other APC candidates.
“Our achievements must speak for us, but we must also be prepared to explain them convincingly,” he said.
The governor listed infrastructure, education, healthcare, workers’ welfare, youth empowerment and security among the priorities of his administration’s M.O.R.E Agenda.
Deputy Governor Monday Onyeme commended Oborevwori for aligning Delta State with the Federal Government, urging party members to consolidate what he described as the gains of the relationship.
Onyeme also called on the campaign team to publicise the Tinubu administration’s policies and achievements in areas including local government autonomy, education funding, grassroots development, security, electricity and road infrastructure.
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Festus Keyamo defended the Federal Government’s economic reforms, arguing that difficult decisions were necessary to address Nigeria’s economic challenges.
He acknowledged that the reforms had caused temporary hardship but maintained that they were intended to tackle underlying problems, including the cost of fuel subsidies.
Delta APC Chairman Solomon Arenyeka said the inauguration of the campaign council demonstrated the party’s readiness to contest elections at all levels in 2027.
Former Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, speaking for Delta North, said expectations were high following the mass defection of political leaders from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC in April 2025.
Okowa urged members of the council to translate the party’s political position into electoral support through direct engagement with voters rather than relying solely on rallies.
Representing Delta Central, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor welcomed the APC’s emergence as the ruling party in Delta State and pledged support for the re-election campaigns of Tinubu and Oborevwori.
For Delta South, former Secretary to the State Government Ovuozourie Macaulay said the administration’s achievements would form part of the campaign message, assuring that the district would work towards delivering substantial votes for the party.
The Director-General of the campaign council, Senator James Manager, pledged to work with party leaders and members to secure victory, describing the assignment as demanding and requiring collective effort and sustained grassroots mobilisation.
The campaign council’s inauguration marks another phase in the APC’s preparations for the 2027 general elections, with party leaders emphasising the need to communicate government policies and engage voters across Delta State.
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