Delta APC Chieftain: We Suffered Under Oborevwori, He Can’t Now Be Our Leader

ASABA/Nigeria: A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta State, Prince Collins Eselemo, has strongly opposed the notion of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori assuming any leadership role in the party following his controversial defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Speaking during an interview with Arise News on Wednesday, Eselemo described Oborevwori as a “political liability” and warned that the governor’s entry into the APC must not be unconditional. “We’re not saying he can’t join, but it must be on clearly defined terms,” Eselemo said, firmly rejecting the idea of automatic elevation for the governor within the party’s hierarchy.

Eselemo took particular aim at the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, for endorsing Oborevwori as the new APC leader in Delta without proper consultation with party stakeholders. “If we’re inheriting Sheriff, let them be clear about it,” he stated. “Keyamo, a Senior Advocate, is telling Nigerians Sheriff can come in and lead us? Lead me—someone who has fought for democracy—into what? Corruption? This signals a moral collapse within the party.”

The APC stalwart recalled what he described as the governor’s past injustices against APC members during his tenure under the PDP, alleging that party loyalists suffered politically motivated demolitions and land seizures. “Our only crime was being APC members. Our assets were taken, our lands seized, and we received nothing in return,” he said. “Now we’re expected to accept him as our leader?”

Eselemo insisted that before Oborevwori could be considered for any leadership role, he must first offer public acknowledgment and restitution for the harm allegedly inflicted on APC members. “Until Sheriff corrects those wrongs, the conversation about leadership cannot begin,” he declared.

He also raised alarms about the financial consequences of absorbing former PDP figures into the APC, citing the state’s significant debt profile. “If the APC is expected to repay the PDP’s N450 billion debt using state resources, let them say so,” Eselemo warned.

Concluding, he urged President Bola Tinubu to take heed of the plight of Delta APC members who, according to him, endured years of victimization under Oborevwori’s administration. “The president must be informed of the injustices we faced. They cannot be ignored,” Eselemo said.