By Julius Oweh
Last Saturday trouncing of PDP by APC has sent political earthquake and trumblings in the South South especially Delta State, the steady home of PDP. There are political shivers and cold in Delta State among the ranks and file of party faithfuls. As one political wit postulated in a moment of intellectual illumination, that politics is the art of impossible.
With trepidation, the political heavyweight of the PDP stock look towards 2027.
But before looking at the effects of APC victory in Edo State in neighbouring Delta State, let us share a thought why Godwin Obaseki and his political godson were so humiliated.
Arrogance was the signature tune of the outgoing governor. He fought and removed his deputy, Shaibu because the man simply exercised his constitutional rights to be the next governor. Betrayal was another streak of Obaseki. But what broke the camel back was dragging the Oba of Benin to court. And in after whiskey talk, he said that Edo was not Lagos and challenged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. As people would say, all that is now history and Obaseki will be licking his wounds.
The question remains, can APC over run Delta State, the home of PDP since 1999. Nothing is impossible in politics even though there are two different scenarios.
Firstly, the problem of APC in Delta State is Senator Ovie Omo Agege.
At the national level, Omo Agege was the darling of President Muhammadu Buhari. It was the fatal mistake of Omo Agege supporting Senator Ahmed Lawan for APC presidential primaries that incurred the wrath of Tinubu. Tinubu will never forget that in a hurry.
At the home front, Omo Agege in bid to take over the structures of APC in the state offended many bigwigs and such people stood on the fence waiting for him to win the election. Such party bigwigs worked for the party in the senatorial election, hence the presence of Senator Ede Dafinione and Senator Joel Onowakpo Thomas. Therefore it staggers political reality why a party that won two senatorial districts could not win the governorship election. Omo Agege is the culprit.
Perhaps the damaging aspect of APC in the state is the family politics of Omo Agege. Omo Agege reduced the party to family affairs as key positions were given to family members and cronies. The conduct of elections to choose party executives at the local government level and state level was reduced to selection. It was a sham and very far from the principles of democracy.
If the APC could correct these lapses or move beyond Omo Agege, the chances of winning the next election could be bright. The party machinery needs overhaul and injection of fresh blood. This culture of entitlement by Omo Agege to the sole copyright of the APC governorship ticket must stop. This naturally brings the James Ibori.
Take it or leave, Ibori remains a political godfather in the state. Why he has not publicly declared for the APC, his body language speaks volume. He is close to Tinubu and most of the federal appointments from Delta are peopled by his loyalists. The APC could catch on this. The defeat of David Edevbie in the PDP governorship primaries is a sore point in his relationship with Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, former governor.
Ibori could attract a lot of followership if he throws his hat into the APC. Politicians in PDP are only waiting for directives from the grandmaster of Delta State politics.
Another factor that may work in the favour of APC capturing Delta State in 2027 is the spouse of the president, Senator Oluremi Tinubu. Mrs Tinubu is a Deltan of the Itsekiri stock. Do not underate the power of wife over her husband. The Delta APC could latch on this to get the attention of the president and the consequent federal might with fundings and what have you .
Let the fact be stated again and again that Delta State is PDP and it would amount to swimming against the tide for APC to win PDP. But if APC embarks on transparent reconciliation, move the party beyond Omo Agege, utilize the two serving senators, with Ibori factor and capitalize on the weaknesses of Sheriff Oborevwori, APC could repeat last Saturday Edo state feat in Delta State, come 2027.
