Prince Collins Eselemo, a prominent leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta State, has publicly opposed the defection of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC, dismissing any notion of Oborevwori leading the party in the state and branding him a political “liability.”
Speaking in an interview with Arise News on Wednesday, Eselemo said he was not completely against Oborevwori joining the APC but insisted that his entry must come with strict conditions and not an automatic leadership role. “We’re not saying he can’t join, but it must be on clearly defined terms,” he said.
Eselemo criticized the national leadership of the APC, singling out Minister of Aviation Festus Keyamo for allegedly endorsing Oborevwori’s leadership without consulting the party base in Delta. “If we’re inheriting Sheriff, let them be clear about it,” he said. “Keyamo, a Senior Advocate, is telling Nigerians Sheriff can come in and lead us? Lead me—someone who has fought for democracy—into what? Corruption? This signals a moral collapse within the party.”
He also recounted past grievances, accusing Oborevwori’s former administration as PDP governor of persecuting APC members through property demolitions and land seizures without compensation. “Our only crime was being APC members. Our assets were taken, our lands seized, and we received nothing in return,” Eselemo said. “Now we’re expected to accept him as our leader?”
Eselemo insisted that any discussion of leadership must begin with Oborevwori acknowledging and addressing the wrongs done to APC members. “Until Sheriff corrects those wrongs, the conversation about leadership cannot begin,” he emphasized.
He further warned of the financial consequences of welcoming PDP defectors into the APC, particularly in relation to the state’s reported N450 billion debt. “If the APC is expected to repay the PDP’s N450 billion debt using state resources, let them say so,” he cautioned.
Eselemo concluded by appealing to President Bola Tinubu to recognize the suffering endured by Delta APC members under Oborevwori’s rule. “The president must be informed of the injustices we faced. They cannot be ignored,” he said.
