Delta APC Coalition Accuses New Entrants of Marginalising Founding Members, Demands Chairmanship Zoning to  Delta North

Leaders of the Delta North APC Coalition for Equity have voiced strong worries over what they describe as the increasing marginalisation of long-standing members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta State following the defection of the state governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, and the rising influence of his political structure within the party.

Speaking during a press conference in Abuja on Sunday, jointly addressed by the foundational chairman, Chief Alex Ikpeazu, and the acting secretary-general, Ken-Chad Rafua, alongside leaders of the old APC across local governments in the zone, they stated that many original members now feel heavily sidelined despite their years of sacrifice and their role in sustaining the party ahead of the 2027 elections.
They further warned that unless quick and deliberate steps are urgently taken, unity within the party may be seriously weakened as the nation gradually proceeds toward another election cycle.
“We have laboured and suffered too long to watch the house we built with years of sweat collapse before us,” they declared.

The coalition explained that the main purpose of the media briefing was to alert the national leadership of the party to “the expanding worries of long-standing APC members who feel increasingly pushed aside” following the governor’s defection and the strengthening of his political network.
They emphasised that these developments have led to the exclusion of original stakeholders from important internal activities, including the drafting of consensus ward and LGA executive lists.

According to the coalition, new entrants leading various APC blocs in the wards have failed to invite foundational members to meetings where the so-called consensus lists were prepared, contrary to directives issued by the governor and the party’s state leadership.

They insisted that the lists presented by the new APC bloc were not genuinely consensus-driven and should therefore be completely disregarded in the interest of fairness.

They called on Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the national working committee of the party to intervene without delay.

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

The coalition also urged the party to implement a percentage-based harmonisation model to ensure equitable integration between old and new APC members across all wards and LGAs.

They additionally expressed concern that members who purchased congress nomination forms have still not been granted access to them, alleging that leaders of the new bloc were privately completing the forms for their own loyalists, excluding founding members.
Reaffirming their unwavering loyalty to the APC at both the state and national levels, the coalition insisted that justice, inclusion, and respect for loyal party members must sincerely define the ongoing political restructuring.