The Mayor of Urhoboland and a good governance advocate, His Excellency Eshanekpe Israel, a.k.a. Akpodoro, has advised the National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC), led by former Governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, to be cautious in selecting leadership for the Delta State chapter of the party.
Akpodoro made this statement during an event organized by the Palace of the Mayor of Urhoboland in Abuja over the weekend, where national issues, including politics in Delta State, were reviewed. He criticized the outcome of the 2023 gubernatorial election in the oil-rich state, attributing the poor performance of the APC to the alleged hijacking of the party by the former Deputy Senate President, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege.
He argued that Omo-Agege’s opposition to a southern presidency played a significant role in the party’s defeat. Akpodoro claimed that Omo-Agege supported the emergence of a northern president, particularly backing Senate President Lawan Muhammed, even to the extent of manipulating the national delegates to vote for a northerner. This, according to Akpodoro, was a betrayal of southern interests and a political maneuver orchestrated by the Aso Rock cabal, with Omo-Agege actively participating.
Akpodoro further argued that if APC’s current national leader, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, had not won, Omo-Agege would have faced no consequences for his actions against southern Nigeria’s interests.
On the matter of leadership suitability, Akpodoro expressed his strong support for Festus Keyamo, SAN, the current Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Management, as the best choice for leading the APC in Delta State. He described Keyamo as a tested and trusted leader who possesses the necessary qualities of statesmanship, loyalty, and leadership to unite the party and position it for success in the 2027 elections.
In contrast, Akpodoro criticized Omo-Agege as a destabilizing force within the party, claiming that he has consistently undermined the interests of the broader Delta community. He alleged that during Omo-Agege’s tenure in the Senate, he favored his own Orogun clan, directing all contracts intended for Urhobo nation to that area and taking sole control of several key contracts, including the controversial pipeline surveillance contract meant for ex-militants across different ethnic groups. Akpodoro challenged Omo-Agege to provide evidence of his payments to the Urhobo people, including youths, traditional institutions, and clan leaders.
Akpodoro highlighted Keyamo’s effective use of resources from the surveillance contract to empower youths and leaders across Delta State, contrasting it with Omo-Agege’s alleged mismanagement and personal enrichment.
Labeling Omo-Agege a “serial betrayer,” Akpodoro warned that entrusting APC leadership to him would be a death sentence for the party in Delta State. He reminded his audience that when APC was introduced to Delta State by Olorogun Otega Emerhor and other leaders, Omo-Agege was in the Democratic Peoples Party (DPP), where he defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Akpodoro accused Omo-Agege of betraying key figures like Chief James Ibori, Chief Ovedje Ogboru, and Olorogun Emerhor, and of undermining the APC structure before the 2023 elections.
Akpodoro raised several questions about Omo-Agege’s leadership abilities, claiming that he has failed to work collaboratively with other party leaders and is not a team player. According to Akpodoro, a gullible leader like Omo-Agege cannot effectively lead a political party.
Lastly, Akpodoro called on the Tantita Security Services Nig LTD. (TSSNL) to terminate its contract with Omo-Agege, asserting that the contract was being used for personal gain rather than benefiting the Urhobo community. He emphasized that Omo-Agege has become an obstacle to the progress of the Niger Delta and called on him to step back from Delta politics, allowing the Honourable Minister of Aviation, Keyamo, to take the lead.
