Former Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Victor Ochei, has accused President Bola Tinubu’s political structure of failing to reward loyal members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), saying the development contributed to his decision to leave the party.
Key Highlights:
- Ochei defects from APC, accuses Tinubu structure of sidelining loyalists
- Former Delta Speaker Ochei quits APC, alleges political marginalisation
- Ochei dumps APC, criticises Tinubu camp and Okowa’s political influence in Delta North
- Tinubu abandoned loyalists, Delta North turned political estate — Ochei
- Ochei exits APC, accuses ruling structure of rewarding newcomers over loyal members
- Delta politics tense as Ochei blasts Tinubu allies, Okowa’s alleged family dominance
Ochei, who recently defected to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and declared his intention to contest the Delta North Senatorial seat in 2027, also alleged that former Delta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, was attempting to turn Delta North into a family political dynasty.
Speaking on his decision to quit the APC, during a meeting with his support group, Ochie said long-standing party members who worked to build the party in Delta State had been sidelined following the defection of prominent politicians into the ruling party.
“During Buhari, we were better off. They told us Tinubu rewards loyalty, but behold what is happening. He handed over our party to people that just joined,” Ochei said.
He lamented that despite being one of the party’s old members in the state, he and other loyalists were allegedly shut out of the political structure after helping to accommodate new entrants.
“I am an old member of the APC. They came and met me. I opened the door for them. I did everything to ensure they were accepted. I went to Nwaoboshi, I pleaded with Ned Nwoko to unite all of them and when they settled in, they locked us out,” he stated.
The former Speaker said his departure from the APC was not solely about internal party grievances but also about what he described as an urgent need to challenge political impunity in Delta North.
According to him, Senator Okowa’s decision to seek a return to the Senate while supporting members of his family for other elective offices was unacceptable.
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“Okowa is bringing himself to contest the Senate, his in-law House of Representatives and his daughter House of Assembly. What impunity is that? Is he the only one in Delta North? He believes nobody can challenge him,” Ochei said.
He added that his senatorial ambition was driven by a desire to protect the political future of Delta North rather than personal ambition.
“I’m contesting the Senate not because I actually wanted to, but somebody needs to challenge this impunity. So it’s not about me, it’s about Delta North people,” he said.
Ochei disclosed that he submitted his resignation letter to the APC on May 9 and had not attended any party meeting or function since then.
He further claimed that Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, personally contacted him and urged him not to challenge Okowa for the senatorial seat.
“The governor called me that I should not run against Okowa, and I told him, how can Okowa be contesting, his daughter is contesting and he’s still bringing his in-law? That is an insult to the collective intelligence of the people of Delta North and I won’t allow it,” he said.
According to Ochei, the governor attempted to persuade him by asking what he wanted, but he insisted that no political offer would make him abandon his position.
“He asked what I wanted to persuade me and I said there is nothing you can give me. So it’s not about Ochei, it’s about Delta North,” he stated.
The former Speaker also dismissed suggestions that financial strength would determine the outcome of the contest, recalling his experience during the 2014 governorship primary election.
“He may have the money to spend, he has access to state funds, but he should know that if money gives power, he wouldn’t have become governor in 2015. The kind of money I had then, Okowa has not seen. I outspent him during the primaries but at the end he emerged,” Ochei claimed.
He said his objective was to preserve an open political system that gives ordinary citizens and young people the opportunity to aspire to leadership positions.
“I was the son of a nobody when I contested and I won. The system allowed it, but today they are destroying that system that helped them. I want to break that barrier and give young people a chance to aspire,” he said.
Ochei further accused Okowa of refusing to relinquish political influence despite having occupied several key public offices over the years.
“People made Okowa governor, he chased all of them away and now he made somebody governor, he doesn’t want the person to breathe. Everything is still about him. That’s not supposed to be so,” he said.
He noted that the former governor had served as councillor, local government chairman, commissioner, Secretary to the State Government, senator, governor and vice-presidential candidate, arguing that it was time for him to allow others to emerge.
“God has blessed him — councillor to chairman to commissioner to SSG to senator to governor and even vice-presidential candidate. What else do you want? It is better to leave the stage when the ovation is loudest,” Ochei added.
