By Tunde Oso

The Mayor of Urhoboland, Eshanekpe Israel, popularly known as Akpodoro, has criticized former Deputy Senate President and 2023 APC governorship candidate in Delta State, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, for allegedly stating that Governor Sheriff Oborevwori is not welcome in the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Akpodoro, reacting to the purported statement, emphasized that the APC is a party for all Nigerians and not the personal property of any individual. He insisted that anyone willing to join the party should be free to do so, including Governor Oborevwori, who is currently a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

According to Akpodoro, Omo-Agege is afraid of intra-party competition and is attempting to monopolize the APC gubernatorial ticket for 2027 by controlling the party structure in Delta State. He warned that if Omo-Agege is allowed to hijack the ticket, the APC risks losing its relevance in the state.

“The APC is a star-studded political platform large enough to accommodate Governor Oborevwori if he wishes to join,” Akpodoro stated. He pointed out that notable founding members of the Delta APC, including Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, Dr. Otive Igbuzor, and Jones Elue, have been sidelined, leading to a decline in the party’s influence.

Akpodoro further stated that allowing Omo-Agege to dictate the party’s direction would be detrimental to its future. He urged APC stakeholders to reclaim the party structure and prevent one individual from running it as a personal estate.

“The APC has the ambition of winning Delta State in 2027, but that requires a credible personality, not a petty contractor,” Akpodoro said.

He called on APC National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, to intervene and prevent Omo-Agege from controlling the party structure, warning that failure to act could lead to the extinction of the APC in Delta State.