Former Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Niger Delta and prominent All Progressives Congress (APC) leader in Delta State, Senator Peter Nwaoboshi, has raised concerns over what he described as a deliberate effort by certain individuals within the Presidency to undermine former Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege.
Nwaoboshi, who is widely referred to as Oracle, made the allegation during an interview with Sunday Vanguard, claiming that these unnamed figures were determined to ensure Omo-Agege was sidelined in the current administration.
According to him, he had on several occasions cautioned Omo-Agege against contesting the 2023 governorship election in Delta State, where the APC candidate faced off against the incumbent, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He explained that history has shown it is almost impossible to unseat a sitting governor seeking re-election, regardless of party strength or candidate popularity.
“I advised him as a senior brother that it would be extremely difficult to defeat an incumbent governor. From Ibori to Uduaghan and Okowa, no sitting governor in Delta has ever been denied a second term by his party. The system always protects incumbency,” Nwaoboshi stated.
The former senator further disclosed that Omo-Agege had personally shared his frustrations with him, which he later relayed to Governor Oborevwori. According to Nwaoboshi, he urged the governor to engage with Omo-Agege and address some of the concerns he had expressed, stressing that peace and unity were vital for the state’s political stability.
APC Dynamics in Delta State
Nwaoboshi, who recently paid a courtesy visit to Governor Oborevwori at the Government House in Asaba, described the governor’s entry into the APC as a “game-changer” that could alter the state’s political balance. He argued that Omo-Agege, despite his past influence, could not secure the party’s governorship ticket in 2027 if Oborevwori remains in the APC.
He said:
“To the best of my knowledge, Omo-Agege is not preparing to contest the governorship in 2027 under APC. I have spoken with him privately, and I told him clearly: if the governor remains in APC, he cannot win the party’s primary. That is the political reality.”
The ex-lawmaker, however, clarified that Omo-Agege’s main concern was not about another governorship race but rather about being accorded respect as a former Deputy Senate President and one-time undisputed leader of the APC in Delta State.
Nwaoboshi recalled how Omo-Agege played a crucial role in the party’s past successes:
“When Buhari was President, Festus Keyamo was at Omo-Agege’s office almost daily. Of the two APC senators we had, Omo-Agege made over 80 per cent of the sacrifices that got them into office. I openly defended his leadership then, but now that a governor has joined the party, the dynamics have changed—by default, the governor becomes the leader.”
Accusations Against the Presidency
The outspoken APC chieftain also alleged that certain officials within the Presidency had been fueling disunity in the Delta APC since the conclusion of the 2023 general elections.
“The APC in Delta was one family until after the presidential election. It was only after the victory that some individuals in the Presidency, for their own selfish interests, began to interfere with the party structure in the state. I know them, and when the time comes, I am prepared to expose them,” he said.
Nwaoboshi emphasized the need for reconciliation and collaboration within the party, noting that internal strife could weaken the APC ahead of future elections. He maintained that Governor Oborevwori, as both the state governor and an APC stakeholder, should play a unifying role to bring all factions together.
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