Delta APC At War With Itself: Parallel Executives Expose Deep Power Rift
By SEN RICH KAY
A Party Divided Against Itself
THE internal struggle for control of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta State has erupted into open confrontation, with parallel ward executives now produced by rival blocs.
On one side stands the faction aligned with former Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo-Agege, former Governor James Ibori, and Senator Ned Nwoko — a group that describes itself as the custodian of the “legacy APC structure.” On the other is the bloc linked to Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, whose political machinery recently migrated into the APC following Oborevwori’s defection from the PDP.
What was meant to be a routine congress has instead deepened fault lines within a party that only recently consolidated power in the state.
The Battle for Structural Control
At the heart of the dispute lies control of grassroots structures — ward and local government executives that form the backbone of party mobilization and delegate selection.
Leaders of the Delta North APC Coalition for Equity allege that the Oborevwori-aligned camp sidelined longstanding party members during the congress process. They argue that consensus lists were drafted without adequate consultation and that foundational stakeholders were excluded from key meetings.
Chief Alex Ikpeazu and Ken-Chad Rafua, coalition leaders, insist that many legacy ward executives were neither invited nor informed before lists were compiled. They further claim that nomination forms purchased by established members were withheld, while preferred candidates of the new bloc were allegedly favored.
If true, these allegations suggest not just administrative irregularities but a deliberate restructuring of power.
Protests From the Grassroots
Formal petitions from several wards reinforce claims of exclusion.
In Ward 8, Umuebu, Ukwuani Local Government Area, recognized leaders rejected what they described as an altered executive list. According to their petition, a unanimously agreed list was later modified without consultation and submitted as the official structure.
Similarly, in Ward 6, Ndokwa East, a petition alleged procedural violations and political discrimination. A consensus process reportedly endorsed one candidate as ward secretary, only for him to be removed amid claims he opposed Okowa’s senatorial ambition.
Ward chairmen across Delta North also warned that marginalizing longstanding grassroots mobilizers — particularly those active during the 2023 presidential campaign of Bola Ahmed Tinubu — could weaken party cohesion ahead of future elections.
Echoes of PDP’s Implosion
The unfolding crisis carries historical irony. The APC rose to dominance in Delta partly due to prolonged internal fragmentation within the PDP. Unresolved rivalries, parallel power centers, and alienated stakeholders gradually eroded the PDP’s once formidable machinery.
Now, many of the actors central to those past disputes occupy influential positions within the APC.
The risk is not merely about ward congresses. It is about institutional cohesion. A party fractured at the grassroots level often struggles to present unified candidates or maintain disciplined campaign structures.
A Decisive Moment
The APC’s national leadership faces a consequential test. Intervention — whether through validation of one structure, harmonization, or fresh congresses — will determine whether Delta APC consolidates or fragments.
For now, two parallel realities exist within the same party. The question is whether reconciliation can be engineered before structural rivalry becomes electoral liability.
Delta APC stands at a crossroads. History suggests that unmanaged factionalism rarely resolves itself quietly.
