Alphonsus Agborh, Asaba
A chieftain of the All Progressive Congress in Delta state has blamed the abysmal performance of the party in the last governorship election in the state on the candidate of the party, Ovie Omo-Agege who allegedly muzzled leaders to possess the party.
Omo-Agege is the current deputy Senate president.
Reacting to the poor outing of the party which won only four out of 25 local government areas, the former member of the House of Representatives and one-time governorship aspirant in the state, Dr Cairo Ojougboh said that there is an urgent need for the party at the national level to rescue APC in the state, otherwise, the story will be the same in 2027.
According to him, the party in the state is fast haemorrhaging which requires the intervention of stakeholders including President Buhari before leaving office in May.
Tracing the genesis of the hijacking of the party in the state by the deputy Senate president, Dr Ojougboh said: “The party at the national level set up a 12-man committee of wise men and elders shortly before the state Congress in 2022.
Omo-Agege was one of the 12.
He excused himself and said President Buhari has dashed him to the party. So he went to his Ward and everywhere to compile his list of delegates and presented it to the then acting national chairman and governor of Yobe state Mala Buni.
“We protested to high heaven, they say no that the acting national chairman has blessed him as the candidate of the party.
“We told them that the man can not win the election, but they don’t believe us, so we kept quiet.
“But today, you have seen the result,
We thank God for we have been vindicated that this man is not an issue in Delta politics. As it stands now, we need people who are reputable to be able to rescue power from PDP in the state.
“The two times he went to the Senate, it was through court. He says he knows his way in the court that it will give him victory and that he will be governor in Delta as it happened in Imo state.
“Things have changed and youths have spoken. I can assure you that the court will this time around look at the matter very seriously.
“If snatching a maze at the national assembly earned him the deputy Senate president, it will not also earn him governor in Delta because Delta is not like that.
“Four years is not too long. If we start today again, the party should be given back to the owners in the state.
