Delta APC leaders slam Omo-Agege of anti-party activities, distance selves from his 2027 guber ambition

Ahead of 2027, a coalition of senior leaders and elders within the Delta State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have raised serious allegations against the party’s 2023 gubernatorial candidate, Sen. Ovie Omo-Agege, calling for his immediate probe and disqualification from contesting future elections under the APC banner.

According a strongly-worded petition submitted to the APC State Chairman, Elder Omeni Sobotie, the group outlined a litany of grievances, ranging from gross mismanagement of campaign funds and betrayal of party candidates, to anti-party activities and attempts to manipulate internal structures for personal gain.

The petition, now widely in circulation on social media platforms, signed by prominent APC stakeholders across the three senatorial districts in Delta State, accused Sen. Omo-Agege of orchestrating a disastrous 2023 gubernatorial campaign through reckless financial decisions.

According to the group, despite receiving substantial campaign funding, party structures were starved of resources, with only ₦100,000 disbursed per unit across the state. They allege that this underfunding critically hampered grassroots mobilization and contributed to the APC’s poor showing in the governorship race.

“The campaign was a shadow of what was expected,” the report stated. “This was a result of deliberate mismanagement and hoarding of funds by Sen. Omo-Agege, who rendered the campaign council ineffective and abandoned party loyalists at the battlefield.”

The petitioners also accused Omo-Agege of directly sabotaging APC’s chances in the Ethiope Federal Constituency during the general elections by allegedly manipulating results in favour of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), thereby costing the APC candidate, Hon. John Halims Agoda, a potential victory. They claim that this betrayal was admitted by Omo-Agege in a widely circulated video.

Beyond the elections, the petition detailed how Omo-Agege reportedly sidelined the state’s party structure throughout his campaign, withheld ₦78 million sent from the national secretariat, and allegedly diverted ₦52 million to a personal aide without explanation.

The report also highlighted incidents of imposition of candidates during the primaries, citing financial inducements and alleged collusion with high-profile individuals to override the democratic process. These actions, according to the signatories, led to widespread dissatisfaction and disunity within the Delta APC.

Perhaps most strikingly, the elders accused Omo-Agege of disloyalty to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, alleging that he not only failed to support Tinubu during his consultative visit to Delta State, but also actively worked against his emergence at the APC national convention. He was further implicated in allegedly instructing Delta senators to vote against Sen. Godswill Akpabio’s bid for Senate Presidency, contravening President Tinubu’s directive.

In a scathing rebuke of Omo-Agege’s recent overtures to align himself with the presidency, the petition described his support as “pretentious,” branding his actions as a “desperate attempt to rewrite history and conceal past betrayals.”

Furthermore, the elders accused Omo-Agege of persistently undermining the party’s unity by alienating fellow leaders and ignoring the recommendations of the reconciliation committee set up to rebuild party structures in the state. His alleged involvement in a “fraudulent endorsement scheme” for the 2027 governorship race—where names of unsuspecting party members were published as endorsing his candidacy—was described as unethical and deceptive.

As a result of these cumulative actions, the group made a series of demands:

1. Immediate investigation into the handling of 2023 campaign funds and anti-party activities by an independent panel.

2. Disciplinary action for his alleged role in sabotaging fellow party candidates.

3. A comprehensive audit of all funds received and disbursed under his campaign leadership.

4. A formal declaration by the party that Senator Omo-Agege will not be considered for the 2027 gubernatorial ticket.

“Delta APC cannot afford another electoral disaster,” the report concluded. “Senator Omo-Agege has lost the moral ground to lead. The party must act decisively to restore confidence among its members and position itself for victory in 2027.”

As of the time of filing this report, Senator Omo-Agege was yet to issued a public response to the allegations.