ASABA/Nigeria: Former Delta State Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Otunba Nick Ovuakporie, has declared that the recent political setback suffered by former Deputy Senate President, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, and his subsequent defection from the APC have exposed the collapse of the political structure he once controlled in Delta State.
Ovuakporie said Omo-Agege’s defeat in the Delta Central Senatorial primary election and his decision to quit the APC for the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) were clear indications that the former deputy senate president had lost his grip on the party machinery he had dominated for years.
The former APC state secretary made the remarks while revisiting allegations made in 2021 by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, who had accused Omo-Agege of installing loyalists and political associates as executives across virtually every level of the APC structure in Delta State.
At the time, Omo-Agege’s supporters dismissed the allegations and described Keyamo as a “WhatsApp politician.” However, Ovuakporie argued that subsequent events within the party had vindicated the minister’s position.
According to him, the emergence of Senator Ede Dafinone in the recent Delta Central Senatorial primary election demonstrated that Omo-Agege no longer wielded the influence he once enjoyed within the APC.
Following the primary election, Omo-Agege resigned from the APC and joined the NDC, vowing to dismantle the party he once helped build.
Reacting to the development, Ovuakporie dismissed the defection as an emotional response to political defeat rather than a carefully planned realignment.
“Having been defeated by Senator Ede Dafinone, he couldn’t stomach the humiliation of remaining in the background with those that were once regarded as his houseboys. It is indeed his desperation to remain in power that forced him to leave,” Ovuakporie said.
He maintained that Omo-Agege’s exit exposed the fragility of a political structure that had once appeared formidable and revealed that the former senator had become a victim of the same system he had previously controlled.
Describing the defection as an act of desperation, Ovuakporie said the former deputy senate president was struggling to remain politically relevant in a changing environment.
“This is not a strategic political realignment; it is a spiritual chase. It is the classic case of a man possessed by the demons of his own ambition, now being tormented by the reality of his irrelevance. He is a man running from his own shadow, only to find that his shadow has become his greatest nightmare,” he stated.
In further criticism of the former senator’s political move, Ovuakporie likened his situation to that of migrants pursuing unrealistic dreams only to find themselves trapped in difficult circumstances.
“He has sold himself into political slavery out of sheer desperation, much like migrants who, in their quest for a mirage in Europe, end up as captives to slave merchants in the volatile deserts of Libya. He has traded his dignity for a seat at a table where he is merely a guest, not a stakeholder,” he said.
The APC chieftain also criticized Omo-Agege’s choice of political platform, arguing that he had abandoned a position of influence in a major national party only to become subordinate elsewhere.
“To willingly vacate the palace of a national party to become a houseboy to a self-styled Supreme Leader, where orders are issued with the authoritarianism of an Ayatollah, is the ultimate political degradation. He has traded his status as a statesman for the role of a political subordinate to an overlord,” Ovuakporie added.
Despite the former deputy senate president’s departure, Ovuakporie insisted that the APC remained united and politically strong in Delta State ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“Delta remains an APC stronghold. We will not lose a moment’s sleep over the exit of a political ingrate who rose to prominence on the back of the very party he now seeks to undermine. His departure is not a loss; it is a cleansing,” he said.
He further stated that the party was fully prepared for future electoral contests and committed to sustaining support for the administration’s development agenda.
“The APC is battle-ready. We are prepared to demonstrate our electoral might against political antelopes who spend their careers jumping from one party to another, creating illusions of relevance where none exists. Our resolve to support the M.O.R.E. Agenda and ensure the continuity of good governance is non-negotiable,” Ovuakporie said.
He urged Deltans to disregard what he described as threats against the APC and remain focused on the state’s political future.
“Deltans must remain focused. Do not be distracted by the theatrics of a political suicide bomber who detonated his own mission before ever reaching his target. 2027 is a sealed deal for the Renewed Hope of the M.O.R.E. Agenda. We are moving forward, leaving the shadows behind,” he added.
