- By Nkem Nwaeke, Chief Press Secretary to Rt Hon Emomotimi Guwor.
On May 29, 2026, His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Francis Oborevwori will mark three years as Governor of Delta State. For a man who served two terms from 2015 to 2023 in the Delta State House of Assembly and rose to become Speaker before his election as Governor, the anniversary carries a deeper meaning. It is not just a milestone of Executive performance, but a testament to his understanding of the Legislature as the first arm of government and engine room of democracy.
Since assuming office in 2023, Governor Oborevwori has maintained a sound and strategic synergy with the 8th Delta State House of Assembly led by Speaker, Rt. Hon. Emomotimi Dennis Guwor. That partnership has become a defining feature of his administration’s MORE Agenda (Meaningful Development, Opportunities for All, Realistic Reforms, and Enhanced Peace and Security), the mantra that is driving accelerated reforms and development across the State.
Oborevwori’s legislative background has shaped his approach to governance. Unlike Executives who see the Assembly as a hurdle, he understands it as a partner in state-building. That understanding was on full display when he stormed the hallowed chambers of the House on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, to deliver a maiden “State of the State” address, a constitutional ritual he appears poised to institutionalize as an annual engagement.
In that address, and in subsequent interactions, the Governor laid bare the state of Delta’s finances, security, infrastructure, and social services, subjecting his policies to legislative scrutiny while requesting the Assembly’s collaboration for speed and impact. As a former Chairman of a Standing Committee and Speaker for six years, now Governor, the symbolism was not lost on observers by reinforcing the doctrine of separation of powers without sacrificing cooperation.
One of the clearest measures of Executive-Legislative harmony is the traffic of Executive bills. In three years, Governor Oborevwori has transmitted volumes of Executive bills to the House, seeking legal frameworks for key policies and programmes under the MORE Mantra. From the Delta State Social Investment Programme Bill to amendments on public finance management, rural access and agricultural marketing, security trust fund, local government reforms, health, education, and the judiciary, the Assembly under Speaker Guwor has treated Executive proposals with diligence and dispatch, taking each through every Legislative process and procedure. Committee hearings were thorough. Public inputs were taken. Yet, legislative timelines rarely became bottlenecks.
The result is a State with updated laws to match new realities. Laws that give teeth to youth empowerment schemes, legal backing to infrastructure financing models, and statutory cover for social protection initiatives.
Perhaps most critical has been the budget process. In all three fiscal years, Governor Oborevwori presented Appropriation Bills promptly to the Assembly. The House, in turn, ensured robust scrutiny through sectoral defenses, public hearings, and timely passage. Assent followed without delay. This clockwork cycle has ensured that Delta runs on a January-December budget calendar, with capital releases driving projects across the three senatorial districts.
Governor Oborevwori’s respect for the legislature goes beyond bills and budgets. As a former Presiding Officer, he appreciates the need for a strong, independent, and well-resourced Assembly. Under his watch, financial autonomy for the Delta State House of Assembly has been deepened in practice, not just in law. Releases for the running of the Assembly, constituency projects, and oversight functions have been prioritized. The Assembly Complex has seen upgrades in infrastructure, including digitalization of plenary, committee proceedings, and capacity building for members and staff.
The Governor has also encouraged legislative training and exposure for members. Members and management staff have undertaken study tours on areas that would promote efficiency, including budget tracking, and oversight best practices, initiatives supported by the Executive. The outcome is a more confident legislature, able to interrogate policies without rancour and collaborate without surrendering its independence.
The Speaker, Rt Hon Emomotimi Guwor, reflecting on the relationship, noted recently: “We have a Governor who understands the language of the parliament. He does not just send bills; he engages. He does not just seek passage; he defends proposals. That mutual respect is why Delta’s Executive-Legislative relationship is today a model in Nigeria”.
Strong synergy has not meant a rubber stamp Assembly. On several occasions, the House has stepped down Executive requests for further clarification, adjusted proposals during clause-by-clause consideration, and insisted on performance reports before fresh approvals. Welcoming this approach, Governor Oborevwori during the 2025 budget presentation, told the lawmakers, “The Assembly is not an extension of my office. You are the representatives of our people. Ask the hard questions. It makes us better”.
This posture has strengthened oversight. House Committees have undertaken inspection tours of state projects, from roads and school infrastructure to health facilities, urban renewal, and riverine development. Findings are debated. Recommendations are forwarded. The Executive responds. It is this balance of cooperation and oversight that has promoted accountability and transparency in Delta, with budget performance reports and public hearings on key bills attracting wider citizen participation.
Three years on, the gains of this Executive-Legislative partnership are visible. Political stability takes the lead. Delta has enjoyed a rancour-free Assembly with no known setbacks in the last three years. The energy of government has been channeled into governance, not conflict.
Policy speed is another aspect worthy of note. With legal frameworks quickly in place, programmes of the state government took off without legislative delay. Institutional growth has been on a steady pace as the Delta Assembly is stronger in autonomy, in capacity, and in public confidence. Its voice on national platforms, through Guwor’s role as Chairman, Conference of Speakers, has also brought honour to the State. The development impact under Governor Oborevwori is consistent and commendable. Remarkable progress has been made in all sectors of the state economy following the cordial handshake between Executive proposals and legislative approvals.
However, the relationship has not been without challenges. There is the perennial challenge of public perception. In a democracy, synergy is often misread as collusion. Both arms of government have had to constantly explain that cooperation is not compromise. Many critics have refused to acknowledge that the Assembly can be friendly with the Executive without being subservient. Internally, managing a team of sound legislators has tested legislative leadership. Yet, Speaker Guwor’s inclusive style and the Governor’s non-interference have kept the House united on State interest.
As Governor Oborevwori enters the last lap of his first term, as he already got his party’s ticket for second tenure, the task is consolidation. The legal foundations have been laid. The MORE Agenda is in motion. The Assembly is stronger. The next phase will demand deeper oversight of projects, faster implementation of laws, and sustained funding for the legislature’s constitutional duties. It will also require protecting the independence of the Assembly even as collaboration continues.
If the first three years are a guide, Delta State is poised for more. A Governor who was once Speaker has not forgotten, and will never forget, the parliament. Speaker Emomotimi Dennis Guwor, who now leads the Assembly, has found a partner in Government House. And together, they are proving that when the first arm and the executive work as one, Delta wins.
Nkem Nwaeke is the Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker Delta State House of Assembly.
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