By Obinna Uballa
The All Progressives Congress (APC) State Congress held on Tuesday at the Cenotaph in Asaba has laid bare deepening divisions within the party’s Delta chapter, as several influential figures stayed away from the exercise.
A report by The Guardian Newspaper indicated that among those absent were former Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo-Agege, Senator Ned Nwoko and House of Representatives member Eritake Ibori-Suenu, alongside other key stakeholders.
Their boycott cast a shadow over what was initially billed as a unifying platform ahead of the 2027 general elections, fueling speculation of widening cracks within the party.
Although no official explanation was offered, party sources said the aggrieved leaders felt sidelined in the planning and conduct of the congress, prompting them and their loyalists to distance themselves from the process.
Despite the high-profile absences, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and his allies proceeded with the exercise, which produced a new State Working Committee (SWC) largely dominated by recent defectors from the Peoples Democratic Party.
Chief Solomon Arenyeka emerged as State Chairman by consensus, with Elder Moses Iduh as Deputy Chairman and Chief Efe Uko as State Secretary. Other positions were also filled through consensus arrangements.
Political observers, however, argued that the outcome signaled not a consolidation of APC structures but what one insider described as a “complete takeover” by former PDP elements aligned with the governor. Some party members suggested that the development amounted to a political transformation in which the PDP structure had effectively taken over the APC in Delta.
The congress outcome is widely seen as strengthening Oborevwori’s grip on the party machinery in the state, sidelining long-standing APC figures who built the party during its years in opposition.
Addressing party faithful, Oborevwori dismissed allegations of imposition, insisting the process was consultative and inclusive.
“There was no imposition. What we witnessed is broad consultation, agreement and inclusiveness. This structure belongs to all of us,” the governor said, urging members to intensify grassroots mobilisation and regular meetings ahead of 2027.
He also linked the party’s consolidation in Delta to the broader “renewed hope” agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, expressing confidence that the APC would secure victories across all elective positions.
“Our mission is unequivocal. We must secure victory at every level,” Oborevwori declared.
In his acceptance speech, Arenyeka pledged loyalty to the governor and vowed to deliver all APC candidates in the 2027 polls.
“We have heard the marching orders from our leader. By God’s grace, we shall deliver,” he said.
