Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori has dismissed concerns that the departure of former Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo-Agege from the All Progressives Congress (APC) could threaten his chances of securing a second term in office.
Gatekeepers News reports that Omo-Agege recently resigned from the APC and joined the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) after losing the party’s senatorial primary election.
Speaking during an interview on Arise Television, Oborevwori said Omo-Agege’s exit came as no surprise, noting that many of his loyalists had already left the party months before his formal resignation.
“You know I smile. Ovie Omo-Agege, I will not use the word pretentious because we saw it coming,” the governor said.
“Before he left, all these people had left over three months ago. So, we are all aware and that was why he was not serious in the context of the primaries because he never consulted anybody. He never consulted me. He never consulted the leaders.”
Oborevwori stressed that the APC values consultation and consensus-building before major political decisions are taken. He added that no party member challenged his re-election ambition because stakeholders respected the state’s zoning arrangement.
“Even as a governor, I met with people to say I want to go back for my second tenure. But he never did that,” he said.
“In this state, we believe in the zoning that because it’s the turn of the central.”
The governor further downplayed any political threat posed by Omo-Agege.
“He is not a threat because I have defeated him before,” Oborevwori declared.
Defending the outcome of the APC senatorial primary, Oborevwori described the process that produced Senator Ede Dafinone as transparent and credible.
“The man who had a ticket in my party, Senator Ede Dafinone, is a gentleman. He has a reputation,” he said.
“Dafinone is a big name because the father was a senator and he has contributed to the development of Delta State. So, that legacy is there.
“So, we did a free and fair primary and he (Omo-Agege) lost. It’s for him to embrace it because the process was transparent.
“I’m a democrat, so it was transparent and we are all aware that he wants to leave.”
The governor also accused Omo-Agege of a pattern of political disloyalty, claiming that he had fallen out with several influential figures who helped his rise in politics.
“This same man, Ovie Omo-Agege, came into politics in 2002. This state made him. The people that made him, he fought them,” Oborevwori said.
“Who made him? James Ibori made him, he left. He betrayed Ogboru, he left. Betrayed others. So if you say you want to betray me… he is not a threat.”
Oborevwori maintained that the APC’s prospects in future elections would depend largely on its performance in government rather than political defections.
“Because what will make people support your party is what you are doing, what you are able to do,” he said.
“In terms of infrastructure, we are doing well. In terms of security, we’re doing our best.”
