The publisher of Our Daily Manna, a prominent Christian devotional, Bishop (Dr) Chris Kwakpovwe has congratulated the Executive Governor of Delta State, Patrick Ifeanyi Okowa on his resounding victory at the election petition tribunal sitting in Asaba, the state capital.

Speaking to newsmen shortly after news filtered in of Okowa’s victory, the prominent cleric felicitated with the state governor on his win while observing that it was the result expected by most observers.

He declared that the result was a vindication of the wishes of the good people of Delta State and commended the three-man petition tribunal headed by Justice Suleman Belgore for doing things in an orderly manner and not allowing themselves to be used by elements who wished to subvert the course of Justice.

“I want to congratulate the good people of Delta State and also the governor Dr Ifeanyi Okowa. The announcement has confirmed what many of us already knew that Okowa won fair and square. He won handily and it was even a surprise that the tribunal took this long to arrive at the same conclusion.

“If you check the election results announced by INEC and compare the votes of the two candidates, you will see what I am saying. Okowa beat Ogboru by more than three hundred thousand votes. Checking the local governments won, he carried 23 to just 2 by Ogboru, so there wasn’t even a contest in the first place.

“But some people insisted on going to the tribunal in hopes that somehow a legitimate result will be overturned. Well, God didn’t allow such to happen. It would have been a travesty had the outcome been any different”, he stated.

The bishop, who hails from Ughelli in Delta State praised Chief Great Ogboru for always resorting to the RULE OF LAW and deepening the ROOT democracy in the State.

He however counselled the governor to put the past behind him and work assiduously to take Delta State to the next level.

He further enjoined him to gather friends and foes alike under an umbrella of political unity for the sake of peace and progress in the oil-rich state.

“Now that the tribunal has given the result expected, I hope that Governor Okowa will join hands with everyone to change the fortunes of Delta State for the better. We might be in different political camps but we are all one people after all. We should sheathe all swords of division and work together for the common good of all Deltans”.

He remarked that only by doing that will the development policies of the governor be accelerated.

“When everyone on both sides of the political divide closes ranks, it becomes easier to carry out government projects,” he said.