Omo-Agege Resigns from APC After Losing Delta Central Senatorial Primary

Former Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo-Agege has resigned from the All Progressives Congress days after losing the Delta Central senatorial primary, dealing a blow to the party’s South-South structure ahead of the 2027 elections.

Landslide Defeat in Delta Central

Omo-Agege lost the APC primary for Delta Central Senatorial District to the incumbent senator, Ede Dafinone, who secured 116,252 votes against Omo-Agege’s 3,643 votes. The primary was conducted on May 18 across local government areas in the district.

Omo-Agege had initially rejected the outcome and declared himself the winner. But in a resignation letter dated May 22 and addressed to his ward chairman in Uvwie Local Government Area, he made his exit from the party official.

“I will not remain a sitting duck in a party where I cannot advance the interests of Delta Central, Delta State and Nigeria,” he said in the letter.

Political Implications

The resignation removes one of the APC’s top figures in the South-South region. Omo-Agege served as Deputy Senate President from 2019 to 2023 and was the party’s governorship candidate in Delta State in the 2023 elections. His departure could reshape opposition ranks in Delta Central ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Ede Dafinone, who unseated Omo-Agege, was the candidate favoured by the party leadership. The primary was seen as a test of the APC’s internal democracy and the influence of the party’s national leadership in state-level contests.

Omo-Agege has not announced his next political move, but sources suggest he is considering legal action to challenge the primary outcome.

Sources: Premium Times, Guardian, Daily Trust