27/02/2026
WHAT IF TOMORROW NEVER COMES?
By: Isiakpere Jasper
What if tomorrow never comes? What if we wake up one day and realize we never paused to acknowledge the shoulders upon which today’s politics stands in Delta`s history?
What if the opportunity to say thank you, to give honour, to acknowledge impact - slips quietly into yesterday?
His Excellency, Chief James Ibori , former Governor of Delta State (1999-2007), did not merely participate in Delta politics - he defined an era. By divine providence, not just personal strength, he emerged at a decisive moment. His entrance altered the balance of power, brought cohesion to competing interests, and established a leadership circle few openly questioned.
His arrival in 1999 was more than a candidacy - it was a consolidation. Leadership found a center. Direction found a driver. And even critics could not deny his commanding influence within the political circle of Delta State.
As Late Senator Peter Nwaoboshi once stated during an interview,
“Chief James Onanefe Ibori was the only one who was richest amongst us and had the reach to coast us to victory in 1999.”
Beyond resources, there was reach. Beyond reach, there was influence. Beyond influence there was strategy and beyond strategy there was a network that many who stand tall today once leaned on.
Yet what distinguished him most in the narratives of many was his detribalized posture - a Deltan first, reaching across divides, ensuring stakeholders were consulted before critical decisions were made. Politics, under his watch, was not merely about power; it was about inclusion, alignment, and calculated consensus. Yet leadership is never without consequence. Even widely accepted decisions can wound a selected few. And sometimes, that wounded minority matures into a faction determined to dismantle the very bridge that once carried them toward their ambitions - even if it took longer than expected to arrive.
Yet one truth remains difficult to dispute: there are few political actors in Delta today who did not benefit, directly or indirectly, from his influence, structure, or goodwill. Political trees do not forget the soil from which they first drew nourishment.
His relationship with Distinguished Senator Ighoyota Amori led to the establishment of two higher institutions within the same local government axis - Delta State Polytechnic, Otefe-Oghara, and the College of Physical Education, Mosogar. At the time, the decision stirred discontent among some political actors who viewed it through the lens of alliance and proximity. But leadership often requires choosing loyalty, vision, and strategic priorities, even at the risk of criticism.
Chief James Onanefe Ibori is not perfect - no leader is. Governance carries inevitable mistakes: some avoidable, others born from circumstance and complexity. History will debate 2007 and other turning points. That conversation belongs to its own chapter.
So again I ask:
What if tomorrow never comes?
Then gratitude must not wait. Reflection must not be postponed. And history must be written with balance - acknowledging both imperfection and impact. that certain seasons in Delta’s political evolution were shaped by a man who stepped forward when it mattered most.
Tomorrow is never promised.
But impact, when made, outlives time.
What if tomorrow never comes to say ‘thank you’ atleast for the little?
