By Ovie Okpare
The immediate past senator representing Delta North Senatorial District and leader of the party in Anioma, Senator Peter Nwaoboshi, has described the planned defection of Senator Ned Nwoko to the All Progressives Congress (APC) as an attempt to destabilise the party in the state.
Nwaoboshi also accused the Delta North Senator of working with some power brokers in the presidency to immediately dissolve the state working committee and all ward executives of Delta APC before the expiration of their tenure.
He made the allegation in a statement titled “Ned Nwoko’s Attempts to Destabilize the Delta State APC” and made available to journalists on Tuesday in Asaba, Delta State capital.
Senator Ned Nwoko, who represents Delta North at the National Assembly on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), recently announced his plans to defect to the APC at a meeting with his supporters.
Nwoko’s alleged defection is coming following his recent outburst against Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and his alleged cold-war with former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa ahead of the 2027 general elections in the district.
But Nwaoboshi, who represented Delta North Senatorial District from 2015 to 2023, described the alleged attempt by Nwoko as undemocratic and capable of destroying Delta APC ahead of the 2027 general elections.
According to him, “I have been made aware that Senator Ned Nwoko, who recently announced his planned defection, is secretly plotting with some elements in the Presidency to dissolve the Delta State APC Executives from state to wards before their tenure expires. This move is unacceptable and poses a significant threat to our party’s stability and unity in Delta State.
“As a former senator who represented Delta North Senatorial District from 2015 to 2023, and a leader in the All Progressives Congress (APC), I strongly condemn Nwoko’s attempt to destabilize the Delta State APC. His actions are unjust and arrogant, particularly since he is not yet a member of the party. It disregards the democratic principles our party upholds and disrespects the rights of the duly elected members of the Delta State APC Executive.
“The Delta State APC Executive was duly elected and has a mandate to complete their tenure. Any attempts to dissolve the executive would violate the party’s constitution and create chaos within the party. It has the potential to prevent Delta APC from fielding candidates in the 2027 general elections.
“If Nwoko is genuinely interested in joining the APC, he must follow the same process as any other member. This entails building relationships with party members, respecting the party’s leadership structure and internal affairs, and adhering to the party’s constitution and democratic processes. He cannot expect to join the party and immediately dictate how things should be done.
“The APC is a democratic institution with established rules and procedures; therefore, Nwoko must be willing to abide by these rules if he wishes to be a part of our party.
“Nwoko’s actions are clearly driven by self-interest, rather than a genuine desire to serve the people of Delta State. His history of party-hopping and lack of commitment to any particular party or cause are well-documented, indicating that his interest in joining the APC is motivated by personal gain rather than a commitment to the party’s ideals.
“I strongly advise Nwoko to refrain from interfering with the Delta State APC’s internal affairs and to respect the party’s constitution and democratic processes. Any further attempts to destabilize the party will be met with stiff resistance from me and other concerned stakeholders.
“Furthermore, I urge the National leadership of the party and the Presidency to ignore Nwoko’s demand for the dissolution of the Delta State Executive Committee of the party, as it is unconstitutional and motivated by personal gain. The National leadership should uphold the party’s constitution and democratic processes, rather than succumbing to the whims of individuals seeking to destabilize the party.
We will continue to defend our party’s integrity and democracy, and we will not be intimidated by Nwoko’s antics.”
