When party faithful of the All Progressives Congress (APC) gathered at the Cenotaph in Asaba for the Delta State Congress, the election of Chief Solomon Arenyeka as State Chairman should have been the story. Instead, attention immediately turned to who was absent. Senators Ovie Omo-Agege and Ned Nwoko were not at the venue, prompting some to speculate about fractures within the party.
Such speculation is unfounded. It collapses under the weight of facts.
Only weeks before the congresses, Senator Omo-Agege, a former Deputy Senate President and APC governorship candidate in 2023 in Delta State attended a stakeholders’ meeting at Government House, Asaba. There, he publicly acknowledged Governor Sheriff Oborevwori as the state party leader and pledged to work with him for the party’s success, urging inclusive governance as the pathway forward. That was not lip service. It was a deliberate, unequivocal signal of alignment.
Hon. Stella Erhuvwuoghene Okotete, Executive Director (Business Development) at the Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM), was also absent, but her engagement in another state as an official of a congress reflects responsibility, not withdrawal.
Meanwhile, key Omo-Agege allies were present in Asaba. Chief Ayiri Emami, Rt. Hon. Friday Osanebi, Hon. Efe Ofobruku, and former Secretary to the Delta State Government, Chief Ovuozourie Macaulay, attended and actively participated. These are influential actors whose presence signals cohesion, not alienation.
Political parties are living, dynamic entities. Internal debate, tension, and negotiation are inevitable. But tension is not dysfunction. True cracks appear in parallel structures, boycotts, and open defiance. None of that happened at the Asaba congress.
The Delta APC demonstrated organisational continuity. A new executive was elected. Processes concluded without disruption. Stakeholders across political camps engaged and coordinated. Any narrative suggesting otherwise is manufactured, relying on optics rather than substance.
The facts are clear: Delta APC is recalibrating under new leadership, with major figures publicly committed to collaboration. Unity in politics is proven not by attendance at a single event but by sustained action, strategic alignment, and shared objectives.
Those who rush to declare division would do well to stop chasing shadows. Delta APC is focused, purposeful, and poised to advance its agenda. The congress was not a moment of fragility, it was a demonstration of resilience, discipline, and forward-looking strategy.
