A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta State, Olorogun Barrister Adelabu Bodjor, has dismissed claims that Olorogun O’tega Emerhor stepped down his senatorial ambition in the build-up to the 2023 elections in favour of Senator Ede Dafinone, describing the assertion as misleading, unfounded, and lacking substance.
Bodjor, a pioneer Delta Central APC Chairman, said Emerhor could not have withdrawn from a race he never formally declared interest in, stressing that there was no basis for the narrative being promoted by Emerhor’s few supporters in the APC.
The rebuttal follows recent calls by the Emerhor Political Family (EPF), led by Chief Martins Ohwehwo, urging Senator Dafinone to step down from the Delta Central senatorial race in favour of Emerhor on grounds of equity, political balance, and party cohesion.
According to Bodjor, even if any private arrangement existed between Emerhor and other political actors, the Dafinone camp was neither aware of nor bound by such an agreement. “For a start, Emerhor didn’t declare in 2023, so he could never be said to have stepped down.
“If he had a private arrangement with anyone about stepping down, it behoves him as a gentleman to keep it private; it is most likely based on himself and the gubernatorial candidate both being from Ughelli North and not any outdated argument on eastern and western Urhobo.
Bodjor urged aspirants to contest openly based on their ideas, capacity, and programmes rather than relying on sentiment or indirect claims. “Emerhor is yet to express an interest, so nobody can step down for someone who has not declared. Those calling on Senator Dafinone to step down should perhaps be asking their principal to first declare.
“If indeed Emerhor wants to contest for the senate, the most honourable path is to declare openly, then face other aspirants in a free and fair primary, rather than his supporters employing subtle blackmail and underhand tactics to whip up public sympathy, or are Emerhor’s supporters not sure of his capacity to win a competitive party primary, how will he then face other party candidates in an election”?
“It appears his overzealous supporters fear the demystifying of the ‘founding leader’ in a freely contested primary; if not, why this panic move?
Bodjor further disclosed that Emerhor was the party’s senatorial candidate in 2013 and then the gubernatorial candidate in 2015; however, he couldn’t maximise those opportunities, having lost both elections, perhaps he should make way for others to emerge. “He should not always have to be the candidate of the party.”
He added, it’s the same old APC members who are crying wolf over an alleged takeover of the APC by the new entrants, are now the ones calling on a senator who won election on the APC platform to step down. “It is equally surprising that this argument is coming from those in the APC of 2023 who have complained to all quarters that the old APC is being oppressed; this is very troubling.”
Bodjor also dismissed suggestions of equity being used to justify calls for Dafinone to step down, noting that the principle of fairness in Delta Central politics has traditionally been based on equitable distribution across local governments. “Equity has always meant that positions are fairly shared among local governments or federal constituencies. Political parties have followed this principle to carry various groups along. The current situation, however, has brought different dynamics, and it would be unfair to ask Dafinone—who won his election against the odds—to step down simply because he and the governor are from the same federal constituency, not even the same local government.
He further pointed out that historical representation in the senatorial district already raises questions about fairness, noting that the Ughelli Federal Constituency has produced the senator for a significant portion of the democratic period since 1999. He cautioned that any renewed push for equity must be grounded in consistency and fairness across the board.
“If we must consider equity, is it fair that in the 28 years of this democratic dispensation since 1999, the Ughelli Federal Constituency has produced the senator for about 20 of those years? Any candidate elected from Ughelli North in 2027 would take that to 24 out of 32 years. Those who seek equity should come with clean hands,” he added.
He emphasised that those claiming to be members of Olorogun Emerhor Political family don’t even know how Olorogun Emerhor came to be what he is today in APC, adding, “that will be a story for another day.”
