Former presidential spokesman and ex-Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Mr. Ima Niboro, has commended Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, for stabilising and unifying the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta State, following the successful conduct of the party’s ward, local government and state congresses.
Niboro said the peaceful and coordinated manner in which the just concluded APC congresses were conducted across the state was clear evidence of Governor Oborevwori’s leadership capacity and his ability to bring together different political tendencies within the party.
Speaking while assessing the outcome of the congresses, the former presidential aide noted that before the governor’s defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC, the party in Delta State was on the verge of disintegration due to internal divisions.
According to him, Oborevwori’s entry into the APC rescued the party from what he described as an impending collapse.
He said: “Before the governor joined the APC, the party in Delta State was practically on the brink of total disintegration. Many members were already becoming disillusioned and some were even resigning from active politics because of the deep divisions within the party.
“But when Governor Sheriff Oborevwori moved into the APC, it changed the entire political landscape in the state. His coming stabilised the party and provided the leadership needed to bring everybody together.”
Niboro said the unity displayed during the ward, local government and state congresses held recently was a direct reflection of the governor’s inclusive leadership style.
“The evidence is very clear in the congresses that have just taken place from the ward level to the local government and the state congress we concluded a few days ago. The processes were peaceful and widely accepted because the governor has succeeded in uniting the party,” he said.
He explained that part of the strategy adopted by the governor to achieve unity was ensuring neutrality in the management of the congress process, allowing members from different tendencies within the party to align and work together.
“There were claims from some quarters about the background of certain individuals involved in the process, but the reality is that bringing in neutral figures who can command the confidence of all tendencies is often the best way to resolve internal disagreements. That was part of the strategy that helped unify the party,” he added.
Niboro, who was a member of the Presidential Campaign Council and Director of Media for the Delta APC campaign during the 2023 general elections, described Oborevwori as a calm, respectful and focused leader whose leadership style has earned him respect both within and outside the state.
According to him, the governor is also highly regarded at the federal level, including by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and other key leaders of the APC.
“In Abuja, where I spend most of my time, the governor is held in very high regard. The President and key stakeholders in the party appreciate his leadership and the stability he has brought to the APC in Delta State,” he said.
Niboro further noted that the governor’s political influence had significantly improved the APC’s electoral prospects in the state.
He recalled that in previous elections, the APC struggled to secure more than the constitutional minimum of 25 per cent of the votes in Delta State.
“In the past, Delta was simply a state where the APC would struggle to get the required 25 per cent of votes. But today, with Sheriff Oborevwori in the APC, the dynamics have changed completely. Delta State will be a major contributor in terms of votes in future elections,” he said.
While acknowledging that the APC now enjoys a dominant position in the state, Niboro cautioned against complacency, stressing that the party must continue to engage the grassroots.
He said the focus should be on how to ensure that voters align their support for the governor with other candidates of the party in future elections.
“Today, the APC is the dominant political force in Delta State, but we must not take anything for granted. The real challenge is how to ensure that the same voters who support Governor Oborevwori will also support other APC candidates in future elections,” he said.
He concluded that the successful APC congresses in Delta State have demonstrated that the party is now more united and better positioned to consolidate its political strength in the state ahead of future elections.
