UGHELLI/Nigeria: A fresh rift has opened within the ranks of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta State as the party’s acknowledged founding leader, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, has strongly challenged claims by former Deputy Senate President, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, that he built the party’s structure in the state.
Emerhor, speaking in an exclusive interview with KTH Daily, described Omo-Agege’s assertion as an attempt to rewrite the history of the APC in Delta State, insisting that the party’s foundation and growth predated the former deputy senate president’s entry into its fold.
The APC stalwart maintained that he personally established and nurtured the party’s structure in the state and was instrumental in bringing Omo-Agege into the party alongside former governorship candidate, Chief Great Ogboru.
“I am the founding leader of Delta APC and nobody has ever disputed that fact,” Emerhor stated. “Omo-Agege joined the party the same day as Chief Great Ogboru. I received both of them and personally took them to the then National Chairman of the APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, where they formally registered as members. If there was no party structure, what exactly did he join?”
The former APC governorship aspirant said Omo-Agege’s repeated claims of single-handedly building the party were unfair to the numerous leaders, stakeholders and loyal members who contributed significantly to the growth and consolidation of the APC across Delta State.
According to Emerhor, the tendency to personalize collective achievements eventually created divisions within the party and contributed to the challenges that confronted Omo-Agege during the 2023 governorship election.
He also faulted the former Deputy Senate President for taking sole credit for the emergence of Senators Ede Dafinone and Joel-Onowakpo Thomas, arguing that their victories were products of a collective party effort rather than the accomplishment of any single individual.
Emerhor further alleged that Omo-Agege, while serving as Deputy Senate President, used his influence at the federal level to sideline many of the APC’s founding leaders and long-standing members in Delta State, a development he said generated resentment within the party.
The APC leader argued that the dissatisfaction among party faithful was evident during the 2023 general elections when APC candidates won legislative seats but failed to secure victory in the governorship contest.
“A party that comfortably won two Senate seats and was in a strong position to win a third could not logically lose the governorship election by such a wide margin unless there were internal issues,” Emerhor said, referring to the party’s loss in 21 of Delta State’s 25 local government areas.
He also questioned Omo-Agege’s political influence following his recent defection to the National Democratic Congress (NDC), challenging him to identify notable political figures who moved with him.
According to Emerhor, former Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Victor Ochei, joined the NDC in his personal capacity and should not be counted among Omo-Agege’s political loyalists.
“The absence of major defections has exposed who the real problem within Delta APC was,” Emerhor asserted.
The remarks followed comments made by Omo-Agege during a live interview on Arise Television, where he described himself as the dominant opposition figure in Delta State politics and claimed that Governor Sheriff Oborevwori defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC because of fears over a possible 2027 governorship contest against him.
Omo-Agege had argued that under his leadership, the APC transformed into a formidable political force in Delta State, winning two of the state’s three senatorial seats during the 2023 general elections and recording significant gains across Delta Central Senatorial District.
The former Deputy Senate President also maintained that he never accepted the outcome of the 2023 governorship election, insisting he remained convinced that he won the contest before the courts eventually upheld Governor Oborevwori’s victory.
“If Sheriff Oborevwori believed I was no threat, he would have remained in the PDP and faced me in 2027,” Omo-Agege reportedly said, alleging that the governor left the PDP after observing increasing political realignments ahead of the next electoral cycle.
The exchange marks the latest chapter in the escalating political battle for influence within Delta APC, highlighting deep divisions among key figures who once worked together to build the party into a major opposition platform in the state.
