Delta APC Crisis: The Gods Are Not To Blame

By Annabel Ogheneganre

The drum beats for the 2027 general elections across Nigeria are assuming a crescendo. It is clear from the sound of the music that all is not well with the APC in Delta State. Just as PDP is facing their fair share of troubles at the National level, APC is nursing deep acrimonies amongst the leaders in the state. That is the beauty of politics.

It has never been easy any day. Before President Tinubu clinched the APC presidential ticket, he saw betrayals everywhere. But he stayed the course. There are no easy victories anywhere. Donald Trump saw some of his own party men jumping ship to drum support for Kamala Harris ahead of the US polls, but he stayed the course. He won eventually. The discordant sound of seemingly irreconcilable passions in the APC camp is a source of worry. But I am seeing the drama from a different perspective.

The Festus Keyamo, Otega Emerhor, Victor Ochei et al group seem to be having a field day. They are working to seize the party structure from Senator Ovie Omo-Agege. They see Omo-Agege as the problem of the party. Their desire is to call the shot. But Is that the problem of the party? Those dancing to the strange music coming from the visit of the APC leaders to the party’s National Chairman do not seem to understand the undercurrent of political calculus being solved at low and high places. Seizing the party structure is one thing, using it to deliver the party is another.

The Festus Keyamo that some of our people are celebrating is a paperweight in the field of political contest. He does not possess the Omo-Agege magic to turn things around. He has no root in Delta state. In fact, he is a Lagos boy and has not won any election in the state. A man who could not deliver his unit for Mr President in the last election is what some leaders are celebrating. Whatever collegiate leadership being suggested by the Otega Emerhor report will also have a head. That head will be the leader of the College of Leaders. Every political structure has a leader. So, those celebrating Omo-Agege’s being left in the dark are celebrating too early. No political party worth anything can take Senator Ovie Omo-Agege for granted.
Omo-Agege is a charismatic political wizard. He has his own faults though. There is none without faults. What Senator Omo-Agege needs at this juncture is to step down from his high horse and close ranks with the other leaders. Nothing has gone wrong. I am yet to see any betrayal in the unfolding drama. Those who intends to work with the majority or minority reports are working towards the same goal. I do not see Senator Joe Onowakpor or Senator Ede Dafinone working to undermine Omo-Agege.

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One thing Omo-Agege’s adversaries do not know about the man is that he is a fierce political warlord. He knows the game through and through. He knows what he wants and how to get there. Seeing Dafinone and Onowakpor as enemies of Omo-Agege may be far from the truth. Don’t underestimate the political sagacity and strategies of the former DSP. Only the politically naïve will celebrate any cold war between these leaders.

Before the last election in Edo state, the APC was in tatters after the primary elections. But before the polls, issues were resolved and all tendencies closed ranks. APC is getting stronger in Delta State. That should be enough worry for PDP. The discontentment in PDP is deeper than can be imagined. Everybody is accusing Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori of running the state as an emperor. Most commissioners are not happy. But there is none who could tell truth to power. His son is being treated as the De facto Deputy Governor, while the simple-hearted Monday Onyeme is Deputy Governor De jure.

These allegations may not be true to the latter. But there could be elements of truth in them. If Sheriff Oborevwori junior is assuming too much powers, same could also be said of Mr Progress Omo-Agege whom many believed could do worst if his brother were governor. So, that is not an issue. The rain that beat the poor also beat the rich. All of the leaders contending for the soul of the APC have their faults. But what is the way forward?

Blaming Senator Ovie Omo-Agege is not the solution. Many of these leaders betrayed him in the 2023 general elections. They did not quite work for him. They considered him too arrogant to lead the party. Now they are regrouping to take the rug off his feet. But that would be the greatest mistake APC Delta can make. Senator Ovie Omo-Agege is the greatest asset of the party in Delta state. Those he offended must forgive him and move on. Those who offended him also deserve forgiveness. Old wounds must be healed or else, the dream of wrestling power from the PDP may just be a mirage.

In politics, those who treat you badly today may be your biggest assets tomorrow. So, profiling enemies for Omo-Agege should be jettisoned. Delta APC must close ranks to face the battles ahead. PDP will not seat idly to watch a new party snatch power from them. 2027 is going to be tough. The tides are in favour of the PDP but certain factors may work for APC in the long run. The gale of defections seems to be working for APC. Erhiatake’s defection wounded PDP to its marrow. The grandstanding in the media is one of those things. The empowerment launched by Erhiatake Ibori-Suenu shook the state to its foundation. With hundreds of Okada, Keke, cars and buses for grab as well as power generating set and hair driers for the hapless people, the Ethiope axis, the foundation of PDP in Delta state has received the greatest shocker ever.

Now is the time for Gov. Sheriff Oborevwori to retrace his steps and build a stronger base for the 2027 battles. If a sitting president could lose elections in Goodluck Jonathan, nothing is impossible, particularly with the ‘’scientific rigging’’ being suspected as APC’s ingenious strategy. Those forces in the PDP whom Governor Sheriff believes are spent forces should be reactivated and mobilized through due recognition for the coming battle. The Micheal Didens, Askiah Ogiehs, Ighoyota Amoris and such other forces across the three senatorial districts that have been abandoned must be accommodated. Any political tremor that leads to a shift in the system is often aided by unresolved internal discord. APC cannot win Delta state if PDP can put their house in order. But the signs are ominous. Grandstanding is not the way to go.

The APC too has lots of internal overhauling to do. A one-man leadership is not advisable but a blend of the two available options should be considered. A College of Leaders with a head to drive it is the way to go. But to think of undermining Senator Ovie Omo-Agege for any reason whatsoever is sure invitation to heartbreak. If Edo State could fall under severe pounding from the APC, Delta state PDP should stop grandstanding. Let the governor work for the people and be judged accordingly. Programmes and projects that could touch the heart of the common man should be executed. The flyovers and roads are praiseworthy but hunger is real and the people desire improvement in their lot. Stomach infrastructure should top the agenda of any serious government that wants to connect with the people.

Annabel Ogheneganre writes from Abuja.