2027 Poll: Don’t Blame Oborevwori for Okowa’s Delta North Ticket – By Ehichioya Ezomon

By Ehichioya Ezomon

An anecdotal scenario captures the mood in Delta politics today.
On July 21, 2026, during his swearing-in as a Commissioner in Delta State at Government House, Asaba, Hon. Moses Ogodo broke down.
After taking the Oath of office and walking toward the rostrum for a handshake with Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, Ogodo dropped to his knees.
“Don’t kneel down for me. Stand up. We are here to serve Deltans together,” Oborevwori told him, drawing him closer and embracing him after the handshake. As Ogodo stepped down, he fell into the arms of his wife, who wiped the tears of joy from his face. The Townhall NG reported the scene.
That moment laid bare Nigeria’s winner-takes-all politics. In opposition, years of struggle can feel like exile. In power, one appointment can rewrite a life.
Delta House of Assembly member Matthew Omonade, who credits his own election to Oborevwori’s backing, explained it best:
“When I saw Hon. Moses Ogodo overcome with emotion, I understood exactly why. After more than 27 years of active politics and years of struggling in the opposition, he probably never imagined that he would one day serve as a Senior Special Assistant, let alone become a Commissioner in Delta State.
His tears were not tears of weakness; they were tears of gratitude, fulfilment, and divine remembrance. I could relate deeply to that moment because I know what it means for hope to suddenly arise where there had once been hopelessness.
Your Excellency, you have demonstrated that loyalty, patience, competence, and faithfulness still have a place in leadership. Thank you for believing in people, for giving hope to those who refused to give up,” Omonade said.

THE OKOWA QUESTION AND THE POLITICS OF RECIPROCITY

This brings us to the second, and more heated, arm of the debate in Delta: Governor Oborevwori’s reported support for his predecessor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, in the May 2026 APC primaries for Delta North.
The criticism stems from a simple expectation: that a sitting governor should back the incumbent senator, Ned Nwoko, not the man who helped him get there.
But politics, like life, runs on memory and reciprocity.
Two proverbs guide this conversation. Chinua Achebe reminded us: “A man who does not know where the rain began to beat him cannot say where he dried his body.” Meaning, if you forget the people and forces that lifted you, your foundation will not hold.
The second says, “One good turn deserves another.” Kindness should be repaid with kindness.
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In 2023, Dr. Okowa, then Governor, stood as godfather to then-Speaker Oborevwori and helped him become governor. Should Oborevwori now turn his back, stay neutral, or work against him?
Unlike political godsons who forget where they came from once power arrives, Oborevwori chose loyalty. He applied reciprocity. He should not apologize for it.

GOVERNMENT HOUSE SPEAKS

On July 21, 2026, Oborevwori broke his silence through his Executive Assistant on Public Enlightenment, Olisa Ifeajika, at a press conference in Asaba.
“The governor did not meddle in the matter and did not support Okowa to win the Delta North Senatorial District primary as APC candidate for the 2027 general election,” Ifeajika said.
“We know that the governor has his district to look into and had no reason to meddle in Delta North affairs. As an aspirant, you will only be in your unit to vote, while other persons are expected to work for your party in their various units.”
He put the blame squarely on the people.
“The power that Ned Nwoko lost to was the power of the people. Those who put him there in 2023 are those who said no to him for not representing them very well. It was the power of the constituents that prevailed against Nwoko.”
Ifeajika recalled how Delta North leaders, led by Deputy Governor Monday Onyeme, had earlier visited Okowa to beg him to run. “That was a vote of no confidence in Nwoko,” he said.
He added that during consultations across the nine LGAs, even in Aniocha North, Nwoko’s own LGA, a councillor announced they would buy a form for Okowa to contest against “their son.”
After losing the primary, Nwoko went to court, not to claim victory, but to challenge Okowa’s qualification, alleging he had not resigned from PDP before joining APC.

THE COURT DECISION

Nwoko filed suit FHC/ABJ/CS/1062/2026. But Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court, Abuja, struck it out as “fundamentally defective and incompetent from the start.”
Relying on Section 285(14) of the 1999 Constitution and Section 88(2) of the Electoral Act 2022, the judge ruled that only an aspirant who participated in a party primary can institute a pre-election action. An attorney cannot.
“An amendment cannot revive a suit that was incurably defective from the moment of filing,” Justice Umar held, before dismissing the suit for want of jurisdiction. (PREMIUM TIMES/NAN)
A dissatisfied Nwoko has instructed his lawyers to appeal, citing “equity, transparency, party unity, and the overall progress of Delta State.”

CONCLUSION

Let Moses Ogodo not forget his 27 years in the wilderness now that he has “arrived.” Let gratitude guide him.
And let Governor Oborevwori be commended, not condemned. For giving hope to a long-suffering party man. And for standing by the man who stood by him when it mattered.
In politics, loyalty is rare. Reciprocity is rarer. Delta has seen both.

■ Mr Ezomon, Journalist and Media Consultant, writes from Lagos, Nigeria. Can be reached on X, Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp @EhichioyaEzomon. Tel: 08033078357.