*Tinubu has assured us he’s with this body, says Ogboru
By Victor Lewis
The overwhelming presence of the ‘who is who’ in Delta State APC and the mammoth crowd that welcomed the return of Chief Great Ovedje Ogboru to the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Ughelli on Sunday could mean many things among which is the fact that, the party’s primary for 2027 is not going to be a tea party.
Looking critically at the political crystal ball, the turn of event in the State APC, could also be interpreted to mean that the party is heading for a self-destruct in a fierce battle that will make the second term of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori a mere walk over come 2027.
The past four months or so has witnessed the APC governorship candidate in the 2023 election, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, criss-crossing the entire state in an open political campaign as if the next election is just a few months away. However, in all the places the former Deputy President of the Senate visited, the absence of the ‘who is who’ in the party, including the State chairman, were conspicuously absent.
It would be recalled that the grievances that trailed the failure of the party in the 2023 governorship election culminated into internal leadership crisis that snowballed into the emergence of factions across the State.
In what seemed to be an effort in good faith, the founding leader of the APC in the State, Olorogun O’rtega Emerhor and other stakeholders responded to the State chairman’s instructions for an all-embracing reconciliation move especially at the leadership level, in order to re-invent the party.
A Reconciliation Committee headed by the founding Leader, Olorogun Emerhor was set up followed by a Reconciliation Subcommittee lead by Elder Godsday Orubebe. It held stakeholders meetings across the three Senatorial districts where members were given the opportunity to air their grievances and proffer solutions.
The Reconciliation Committee headed by the founding Father, Olorogun Emerhror at the end of their consultative meetings, however resolved to adopt a Collegiate leadership approach to bring every body on board. But this seemed not to have gone down well with the Omo-Agege’s faction.
So, when the former DSP kicked of his 2027 governorship campaign a few months ago, the likes of the State chairman, Elder Omeni Sobotie, founding Leader of the party, Olorogun O’rtega Emerhor, the Honorable Minister for Aviation, Festus Keyamo SAN, Elder Godsday Orubebe, Senator Ede Dafinone, Senator Joel Onohwakpor, Senator Ned Nwoko, Hon. Stella Okotete, Rt. Hon. Victor Ochei and several other notable figures in the party were conspicuously absent.
However, the supporters of the novel collegiate leadership got a huge boost on Sunday March 9, 2025 when Chief Great Ovedje Ogboru who was one of the chieftains of the APC before he decamped to APGA in the eve of the 2023 election, made a heroic comeback ostensibly to throw in his hat for the governorship primary ahead of the 2027 election.
In his welcoming speech which he personally signed but delivered by his representative, the founding leader of the APC in Delta State, Olorogun O’rtega Emerhor, described Chief Great Ogboru as a doyen of opposition, adding that he left the APC along with great followers.
“Chief Ogboru need no introduction both in Delta State APC and in Delta State as a whole. Chief Ogboru was the 2019 Governorship Candidate of Delta State APC. He is an undisputed grassroot mobiliser and the doyen of opposition politics in Delta State. He commands a huge political following in the state.
“Chief Ogboru left the APC in 2023 due to political disagreements in the period leading to Congresses and primaries. He left APC with a grand swell of followers which had a marked impact on the party.
“As the Chairman of the Delta State APC Reconciliation Committee, I must emphasize that the return of Chief Ogboru today aligns with the objective and recommendations of the Reconciliation Committee.
“Delta APC must welcome and accommodate all leaders, past and present, aggrieved and otherwise and provide one big tent for all under the COLLEGIATE LEADERSHIP. Chief Ogboru’s return today further expands the Delta APC leadership and of course, Chief Ogboru’s huge followership can only boost the reach and grassroot popularity of the Party.
“May I also seize the opportunity of welcoming Chief Ogboru back to the party to send a message to all other leaders who are still outside the APC leadership tent to reconsider their SOLE RUN and RETURN to JOIN FORCES with us.
“The principle of the COLLEGIATE LEADERSHIP guarantees everyone a FAIR SHAKE, allowing all LEADERS who seek ELECTIVE POSITIONS an opportunity to CONTEST and WIN FAIRLY and to be SUPPORTED by ALL and to WIN for ALL. A united APC is the best formula for TAKING BACK Delta State from PDP”, Emerhor counselled.
In his address, Chief Ogboru who profusely commended the array of leaders and supporters of the collegiate proposal, particularly eulogized the for their steadfastness and loyalty to the party, promising to put in his best to ensure the party captures the State come 2027.
Ogboru also thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his support towards finding a lasting solution towards uniting the party in the State.
“I thank you for welcoming me back to this house. A special thank you to the Hon. Minister, Festus Keyamo (SAN); State Chairman, Omeni Sobotie; Stella Okotete; and to all who have remained steadfast in the quest for good governance and the democratization of our state. This house is getting stronger and better.
“I have come to join hands with the College of Leaders of Delta APC to continue from where we stopped, to give our all, and to ensure that one day, it will be said that when the APC took over Delta State, the lives of the people changed for the better.
“I also thank President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his encouraging statement to the College of Leaders on Delta State during their recent visit to him. He (Tinubu) has assured us that he is with this body”,
“I only want to say that this house was built by us all. We are now building the house even much more stronger, bigger and better. When we are united, divine blessings will come.
“APC will take over Delta to change the lives of the people for better. After all, a better life and good fortunes are the hallmarks of democracy. Thank you, Mr. President. On your mandate, we stand”, Ogboru stated.
While expressing profound excitement towards the return of Chief Ogboru, the Honorable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo SAN, recalled the constitutional provision that guarantees freedom of association of individuals, just as he condemned alleged attempts by some persons to frustrate the return of Ogboru.
According to him, “there is nowhere in politics where someone can stop people from joining a party. It is not done. You cannot close the door on people who want to join the party.
“I have never seen this level of desperation in my entire life. Ogboru, who has won over 12 LGAs, Senate, and Assembly seats at the height of opposition in Delta State when PDP was PDP in Delta, did this without federal power or appointments. He is an authentic opposition leader. He is a great leader with massive grassroots support.” come 2027, PDP will fall”, Keyamo stated.
Also speaking, the Director of NEXIM Bank, Stella Okotete, who was visibly overjoyed with the return of the ‘General’, stated that the occasion was a unique one, adding that Ogboru was betrayed by his own brother in 2019 due to his governorship ambition for 2023.
“But thank God, Delta State APC is now stronger than ever before. It was a shame that we could only deliver 14% of the votes nationally.
“It was a poor outcome because some of us, who were critical stakeholders of the party, were shut out of the process. It was an ‘aide’ affair. But this time, we are going to win by a landslide for APC in Delta State, securing the governorship seat, three senatorial seats, House of Representatives seats, and Assembly seats”, Okotete noted.
APC chieftains who were present to grace the occasion, include: the State chairman, Chief Omeni Sobotie, Hon. Francis Waive (representing Ughelli North, South, and Udu Federal Constituency); former APC Women Leader, Hon. Stella Okotete; APC chairman for Delta Central, Chief Paulinus Akpeki; Hon. Halims Agoda, amongst others.
Meanwhile, a critical permutation on the state of the APC in the State clearly shows that, like a rudderless ship in a high sea, the party is definitely heading to a self-destruct unless there is a definite instruction from the national leader, that is President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
At the moment, the infighting amongst the top chieftains as to who is the State leader of the party has scattered the bunch of broom such that almost every stick of the bunch lays claim to be the leader.
Over 70% of the grievances and solution papers presented to the Reconciliation Committee across the three Senatorial districts in the State late last year indicated that the party actually failed because most leaders who could not reconcile with the governorship candidate, worked against the party. And the situation seems to be getting worse as 2027 draws near.
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