On Wednesday, June 29, 2022, the Deputy Senate President and Delta APC governorship candidate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege announced the choice of the immediate past Deputy Speaker of Delta State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Friday Ossai Osanebi as his running mate in next year’s gubernatorial election.
In a statement he personally signed, Senator Omo-Agege described Osanebi as a man of impeccable character, stressing that he emerged from a “painstaking internal vetting process in which many notable and highly qualified Deltans were also considered.”
Wild jubilation erupted in various parts of the State over the choice of the ranking lawmaker as Delta APC Deputy Governorship candidate.
But who is Rt. Hon. Friday Ossai Osanebi? Here are 23 things you probably didn’t know about the Delta APC governorship candidate:
1. Rt. Hon. Friday Ossai Osanebi was born on October 7, 1980.
2. He was born to the family of Mr. and Mrs. Ossai Osanebi.
3. He is nicknamed Otunba 1, Omenosa 1 (Someone who does good to everyone irrespective of tribal, religious leanings).
4. The lawmaker hails from Umuedem Quarters, Beneku Town in Ndokwa East Local Government Area of Delta State.
5. Osanebi currently represents Ndokwa East Constituency in the Delta State House of Assembly.
6. At age 41, he is the youngest legislator in Delta State House of Assembly.
7. At age 31, he was first elected as a State lawmaker in 2011, reelected in 2015 and 2019 respectively.
8. He was Deputy Speaker of the State Assembly from 2015 to 2019.
9. Currently, Osanebi is in his third term as a legislator.
10. The ranking lawmaker had his primary education at Eke Model Primary School, Kwale, Delta State.
11. The State lawmaker had his secondary education at Orogun Grammar School, Orogun.
12. Osanebi is a graduate of Material and Metallurgical Engineering from Enugu State University of Science and Technology.
13. As a grassroots politician, he connects freely with everybody, especially the youths and women across the three senatorial districts of Delta State.
14. He has held several leadership roles in the State Assembly which include Chairman, House Committee on Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC); Deputy Chief Whip; Chairman, House Committee on Inter-Parliamentary Affairs; Chairman, House Committee on Culture and Tourism and Deputy Speaker.
15. The seasoned lawmaker is the pioneer National President, Ndokwa Youth Council (NYC).
16. Owing to his acts of uncommon philanthropy, former Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan tagged him ‘Empowerment Master’.
17. In 2011, Rt. Hon. Osanebi attended a Public Governance course at the International Centre for Parliamentary Studies (ICPS), London.
18. In 2012, he was at the University of Oxford, England for an Administration and Policy-making programme.
19. Similarly, he participated in the June 2016 edition of the USA Legislature Revenue Management and Budget Process organised by the International Law Institute, Washington DC.
20. In 2018, he undertook a Leadership Development programme organised by the London School of Economics and Political Science.
21. For his tremendous contributions to youth growth, community development and empowerment, Scream Award nominated him for Man of the Year Award in 2021.
22. Rt. Hon. Osanebi is a vibrant, focused, humble, diligent and upward mobile young leader with vast legislative business, general public governance and corporate management experience.
23. Trustworthy and God-fearing, he is a Christian and happily married to Mrs. Ogechi Osanebi and they are blessed with children.
