Fresh internal wrangling has erupted within the Delta State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as key party leaders clash over a planned solidarity walk in support of President Bola Tinubu’s second-term ambition ahead of the 2027 elections.
The walk, spearheaded by grassroots party loyalists under the leadership of Chief Emmanuel Adigwe, was envisioned as a demonstration of unity and growing support for Tinubu in Delta State. However, the state party leadership, led by Chairman Elder Omeni Sobotie, issued a strongly worded statement disowning the event and threatening disciplinary action against its organizers.
APC state leadership disowns event
In a statement dated August 4, 2025, signed by APC Publicity Secretary Valentine Onojeghuo, the party declared the event “unauthorized and unsanctioned,” warning that no individual or group has the right to organize events under the APC banner without express leadership approval.
“Any deviation will be interpreted as defiance and met with swift consequences,” the statement read.
Organizers accuse chairman of sabotage
The backlash was immediate. Chuks Erhire, a prominent rally organizer, accused Sobotie of deliberate sabotage, claiming the chairman is actively working against Tinubu’s political interests in the state.
“This is a calculated attempt to undermine Tinubu’s growing popularity,” Erhire said, alleging that Sobotie has ties to opposition forces within Atiku Abubakar’s African Democratic Congress (ADC).
He urged the APC National Working Committee to investigate the chairman’s actions, calling them divisive and destructive to the party’s future in Delta State.
“Sobotie is a mole… He has done nothing to build the APC in Delta State, yet he wants to stop genuine supporters from showing solidarity with our President. We will not be intimidated.”
Defiance and deepening divide
Despite the official warning, Erhire vowed that the solidarity walk would go ahead as planned, describing it as a grassroots movement that cannot be suppressed by “anti-Tinubu elements hiding in the party.”
“The walk will hold, whether the devil likes it or not. We cannot allow ADC-style sabotage to cripple our efforts to reposition APC in Delta,” he added defiantly.
What this means for the APC
The clash has exposed growing factionalism and leadership mistrust within the Delta APC. While party unity is seen as crucial ahead of the 2027 polls, analysts say persistent infighting could weaken the APC’s prospects in a state where it is already battling stiff opposition.
Observers warn that unless the APC National Working Committee steps in decisively, the deepening rift could further fragment the party’s base in the South-South region and complicate its campaign strategy for Tinubu’s re-election bid.
