ASABA/Nigeria: Former presidential spokesman and ex-Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Mr. Ima Niboro, has commended Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, for stabilising and unifying the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state following the successful conduct of the party’s ward, local government and state congresses.
Niboro said the peaceful and coordinated manner in which the congresses were held across Delta State was a clear demonstration of Governor Oborevwori’s leadership capacity and his ability to bring together different tendencies within the party.
Assessing the outcome of the exercise, the former presidential aide noted that prior to the governor’s defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC, the party in the state was grappling with internal divisions that threatened its stability.
According to him, Oborevwori’s entry into the APC helped rescue the party from what he described as a looming collapse.
“Before the governor joined the APC, the party in Delta State was practically on the brink of disintegration. Many members were already becoming disillusioned and some were even resigning from active politics because of the deep divisions within the party,” Niboro said.
“But when Governor Sheriff Oborevwori moved into the APC, it changed the entire political landscape in the state. His coming stabilised the party and provided the leadership needed to bring everybody together.”
He explained that the unity witnessed during the recently concluded ward, local government and state congresses reflected the governor’s inclusive leadership approach.
“The evidence is very clear in the congresses that have just taken place from the ward level to the local government and the state congress we concluded a few days ago. The processes were peaceful and widely accepted because the governor has succeeded in uniting the party,” he added.
Niboro noted that part of the strategy that helped achieve consensus during the congresses was the deliberate effort to ensure neutrality in managing the process, thereby giving members from different tendencies within the party confidence in the exercise.
“There were claims from some quarters about the background of certain individuals involved in the process, but the reality is that bringing in neutral figures who can command the confidence of all tendencies is often the best way to resolve internal disagreements. That was part of the strategy that helped unify the party,” he said.
The former Director of Media for the Delta APC campaign during the 2023 general elections described Oborevwori as a calm, respectful and focused leader whose leadership style has earned him respect both within and outside Delta State.
He added that the governor currently enjoys a high level of regard among key political figures at the federal level, including President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and other leaders of the ruling party.
“In Abuja, where I spend most of my time, the governor is held in very high regard. The President and key stakeholders in the party appreciate his leadership and the stability he has brought to the APC in Delta State,” Niboro said.
He further noted that the governor’s political influence had significantly improved the electoral prospects of the APC in Delta State.
Niboro recalled that in previous elections, the party struggled to secure more than the constitutional minimum of 25 per cent of votes in the state.
“In the past, Delta was simply a state where the APC would struggle to get the required 25 per cent of votes. But today, with Sheriff Oborevwori in the APC, the dynamics have changed completely. Delta State will be a major contributor in terms of votes in future elections,” he said.
While acknowledging that the APC now enjoys a dominant political position in the state, Niboro cautioned party members against complacency and stressed the need for continuous grassroots engagement.
According to him, the party must focus on consolidating its support base and ensuring that voters who back the governor also support other APC candidates in future elections.
“Today, the APC is the dominant political force in Delta State, but we must not take anything for granted. The real challenge is how to ensure that the same voters who support Governor Oborevwori will also support other APC candidates in future elections,” he said.
Niboro concluded that the successful conduct of the APC congresses in Delta State had demonstrated that the party is now more united and better positioned to strengthen its political footing ahead of future elections.
