Delta APC Coalition Accuses New Entrants Of Marginalisation

Leaders of the Delta North APC Coalition for Equity have raised concerns over what they described as the growing marginalisation of long-standing members of the All Progressives Congress in Delta State following the defection of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, as well as the increasing dominance of his political structure in the party.

Addressing a press conference in Abuja yesterday, the foundational chairman, Chief Alex Ikpeazu and the acting secretary-general, Ken-Chad Rafua, together with leaders of the old APC from local governments in the zone, said that many foundational members feel increasingly sidelined despite their years of sacrifice and role in sustaining the APC ahead of the 2027 elections.

They warned that unless immediate steps were taken, internal cohesion within the party may be weakened as the nation moves towards another election.

“We have laboured and suffered enough to allow the house we built through years of sweat to crumble before our very eyes,” they claimed.

The coalition said the purpose of the press conference was to draw the attention of the national leadership of the party to “the rising concerns of long-standing APC members who feel increasingly marginalised” following the governor’s defection and the consolidation of his political structure.

The coalition stressed that these developments have resulted in the exclusion of original party stakeholders from critical processes, including the preparation of consensus ward and LGA executive lists.

The coalition alleged that new entrants leading APC blocs across various wards have refused to invite foundational party members to meetings where the purported consensus lists were drafted, contrary to directives issued by the governor and the state party leadership.

They insisted that the lists submitted by the new APC group were not truly consensus-based and, therefore, should be completely discounted in the interest of fairness.

They called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the party’s national working committee to intervene urgently.

Among their demands is the zoning of the Delta State APC chairmanship to Delta North, arguing that Delta South held the position for eight years while Delta Central currently occupies it, making it equitable for Delta North to finally take its turn.

The coalition further urged the party to adopt a percentage-based harmonisation template to ensure fair integration between old and new APC members across all wards and LGAs.

They also expressed concern that members who paid for the congress nomination forms have not been given access to them, alleging that leaders of the new bloc were privately filling forms for their own loyalists to the exclusion of founding members.