The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta State has been thrust into disarray following reports of a “Solidarity Walk in Support of DSP Ovie Omo-Agege” organised by a self-styled “Planning Committee” led by Hon. Chief Emmanuel Adigwe.
Last week’s planned march, intended to celebrate the former Deputy Senate President’s political legacy, was met with a blistering press release from the state party leadership, which disowned the event in unequivocal terms.
According to Valentine Onojeghuo, the APC’s Delta State Publicity Secretary, “no such event was ever sanctioned, approved, or endorsed by the leadership of the APC in Delta State” and any continuation of the walk “will be met with swift and severe disciplinary action”.
Behind the public condemnation lies a bitter struggle for supremacy between two power blocs: the camp loyal to Senator Ovie Omo-Agege and that of the party chairman, Elder Omeni Sobotie.
Insiders reveal that the solidarity walk was the latest flashpoint in a long-running cold war that has periodically threatened to split the state chapter.
The party’s statement accused the organising committee of “a clear breach of the internal regulatory frameworks that guide our operations as a responsible political party,” warning that any further “unauthorised use of the party’s name, logo, or platform” would attract disciplinary measures.
The Rise—and Contentious Politics—of Ovie Omo-Agege
Obarisi Ovie Omo-Agege, born on 3 August 1963, rose from the Orogun clan in Ughelli North to become the first Delta Central senator to serve as Deputy President of the Nigerian Senate (2019–2023).
His ascent was marked by a decisive victory over incumbent Ike Ekweremadu, securing 31 votes in the internal leadership ballot—a feat that stunned many political watchers and established Omo-Agege as a national power broker.
In 2023, Omo-Agege further sought to entrench his influence by contesting the APC governorship ticket, only to lose in the primaries.
Undeterred, he has since positioned himself as the kingmaker within Delta’s APC, orchestrating defections and alliance-building exercises.
Earlier this year, he announced that ten Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmakers from the Delta State House of Assembly were set to defect to the APC—a move he hailed as evidence of the PDP’s “rapidly crumbling” dominance in the state.
Historical Precedents of Factional Strife
The Delta APC’s turbulence is hardly new. In December 2024, a minority report issued by Omo-Agege’s supporters directly challenged the majority recommendations of a reconciliation committee led by Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, underscoring the factional divides that have persisted since the aftermath of the 2023 elections.
That episode saw two APC senators and the party’s sole House of Representatives member in Delta aligning with Omo-Agege’s minority report, deepening the schism within the state working committee.
A similar clash erupted earlier in 2025 between Omo-Agege loyalists and Attorney-General Festus Keyamo’s faction, when accusations of “anti-party activities” were levied against the former Deputy Senate President.
Keyamo’s camp alleged that Omo-Agege treated the party as personal property, prompting calls for formal investigation—a sign that the DSP’s influence has simultaneously elevated and imperilled his standing within the APC.
Legal and Constitutional Counter-Arguments
The organisers of the solidarity walk have mounted a defiant response, invoking the Nigerian Constitution to defend their right to peaceful assembly.
In their official communique, the “Concerned APC Progressives, Delta State Chapter,” described Onojeghuo’s statement as “a dangerous affront to the constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens” and accused the publicity secretary of hypocrisy for backing a partisan slogan associated with another aspirant, the so-called “M.O.R.E. Agenda”.
They argued that “freedom of speech, peaceful assembly, and association is not a gift from the party” but a fundamental right guaranteed by Sections 38 and 40 of the 1999 Constitution.
“This planned ‘Solidarity Walk’ falls fully within these rights. It is not a violent protest, not a campaign rally, and certainly not an act of insubordination”.
Their Sharply worded demand: the immediate removal of Mr. Onojeghuo for purported misuse of office and deliberate incitement against party members.
The Political Stakes of Delta’s 2027 Governorship Race
With the 2027 governorship contest looming, the solidarity walk takes on heightened significance.
Observers note that Omo-Agege’s call for unity and his subsequent marginalisation of dissenting voices suggest a two-pronged strategy: galvanise grassroots support while neutralising rival power centres ahead of primaries.
A united APC could unseat the PDP, which has governed Delta uninterrupted since 1999; yet, the current infighting threatens to undermine that goal.
Delta’s 2027 poll is widely viewed as a bellwether for the South-South region’s political alignment.
A successful APC victory would signal President Tinubu’s consolidating influence, whereas a PDP hold would reaffirm the party’s entrenched patronage networks.
Omo-Agege, aware of the stakes, appears determined to assert control over candidate selection and narrative framing—hence the symbolic potency of a solidarity walk in his honour,
Potential Fallout and Disciplinary Precedents
Should the Delta APC leadership follow through on its threat of “swift and severe disciplinary action,” it would not be the first time party loyalists faced sanctions.
In 2021, several state executives were suspended for alleged anti-party endorsements ahead of local government polls, signalling the central command’s intolerance for unsanctioned politicising.
The key question now is whether punitive measures against Omo-Agege’s supporters will quell dissent or further entrench factional resentment.
Discipline in the APC has historically served dual purposes: enforcing unity while marginalising potential rivals. Yet, over-zealous crackdowns risk alienating critical power brokers whose defection could fracture the party’s electoral prospects.
The solidarity walk controversy thus represents a high-wire act for Chairman Sobotie: sanction too lightly, and the party appears impotent; sanction too harshly, and it provokes a backlash that may expedite defections.
A Party at a Crossroads
The Delta APC now stands at a critical juncture. The solidarity walk for Ovie Omo-Agege—whether it ultimately proceeds or is quashed—has exposed deeper fissures that mere disciplinary edicts cannot resolve.
With the 2027 governorship race looming, the party must navigate between enforcing internal discipline and accommodating the ambitions of its most influential figures.
Failure to strike that balance could not only derail APC’s electoral fortunes in Delta but also prompt a broader reckoning within the national party structure about its tolerance for regional godfathers.
In the words of one senior insider who preferred anonymity,
“The APC in Delta must remember that power sharing is the lifeblood of a coalition. If you decapitate one faction, you risk killing the whole organism.”
His warning resonates today, as the party weighs the fate of Omo-Agege’s allies against the imperatives of unity and discipline.
Ultimately, the solidarity walk saga is more than a mere procession; it is the latest chapter in a saga of ambition, loyalty, and the evolving dynamics of Nigerian party politics.
Whether it becomes a footnote or a catalyst for change will depend on the leadership’s capacity for strategic accommodation rather than brute-force discipline.
Only time will tell if the Delta APC can reconcile its internal rifts in pursuit of a common electoral destiny—or if the storm clouds gathering over Ughelli herald yet another fracturing of the party’s already fragile unity.
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