The Ughelli gathering: A funeral oration for the Akpeki doctrine
The “Official Declaration” memo slated for April 26th at Oharisi Primary School isn’t a celebration of Senator Ede Dafinone. It is a desperate, frantic attempt to build a wall against
- By Victor I. Ichikogu, Ph.D
The "Official Declaration" memo slated for April 26th at Oharisi Primary School isn't a celebration of Senator Ede Dafinone. It is a desperate, frantic attempt to build a wall against a tidal wave named Senator Ovie Omo-Agege.
Chief Paulinus Akpeki and his associates aren't hosting a rally; they are staging a preemptive strike. But they’ve made a fatal mistake: they’ve brought a paper shield to a thunderbolt fight.
Here is why the Akpeki/Egbo memo is a masterclass in political futility.
1. The Fear is the Lead Story
You don’t mobilize the entire Party structure—from the State Working Committee down to the last Ward Exco—to endorse a "popular" incumbent. You do that when you are terrified of a challenger. By forcing everyone into a single field in Ughelli, Akpeki has unintentionally broadcasted Omo-Agege’s strength.
The Verdict: This memo isn't a show of force; it’s a signed confession of panic.
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2. The Law is a Lion, and Akpeki is in the cage.
The 2026 amendments to the Electoral Act have stripped the "Party Elders" of their greatest weapon: the room full of hand-picked delegates. Indirect primaries are dead. The era of the "Kingmaker" is over.
Today, there are only two paths:
* Consensus: Which requires Senator Ovie Omo-Agege’s signature. (Spoilers: He isn't signing his own retirement).
* Direct Primary: Which belongs to the people.
Akpeki is summoning 200 officials to a field. Omo-Agege is summoning 200,000 members to the ballot box. Akpeki is playing checkers on a chessboard where Omo-Agege has already taken the Queen.
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3. Titles vs. Totems: The Grassroots Reality
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Between 2015 and 2023, Ovie Omo-Agege didn’t just hold an office; he built an ecosystem. While the Akpeki faction relies on "official directives," Omo-Agege relies on "familial loyalty."
The Ward Chairmen being dragged to Ughelli have to go home eventually. And when they get there, they will find that the farmers, the traders, and the youth of Delta Central don't take orders from memos—they take cues from the man who brought the DSP's influence to their doorsteps. You can’t "memo" away a decade of deep-rooted presence.
4. The "Imposition" Narrative: A Gift to the OBARISI
In politics, the underdog story is gold. By trying to shut the door on Omo-Agege through an administrative fiat, Akpeki has handed Omo-Agege the most potent campaign slogan in Nigerian history: "The Elites vs. The People."
Every member not invited to that high table in Ughelli now feels insulted. Every grassroots voter now sees Omo-Agege as the man the "establishment" is trying to cheat. Akpeki is essentially funding Ovie Omo-Agege’s PR campaign.
5. Burning the House to Kill a Spider
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Omo-Agege is the highest-ranking APC leader in Delta’s history. To treat him like an interloper isn't just bad optics—it’s electoral suicide. If this faction succeeds in alienating the Obarisi’s base, they won’t just lose the primary; they will hand Delta Central to the opposition on a silver platter. Akpeki is so focused on winning a factional war that he is losing the 2027 general election in advance.
THE BOTTOM LINE: THE FIELD ALWAYS WINS
The gathering at Oharisi Primary School will have nice canopies. There will be loud music. There will be flowery speeches. But when the music stops and the "2026 Law" takes effect, the reality remains unchanged:
You cannot stop a man the people want with a memo the people didn't ask for.
Let them clap in Ughelli. On Direct Primary day, the silence of the ballot will speak louder than the noise of the crowd. Senator Ovie Omo-Agege isn't waiting for an invitation to the party; he is the party.
_Dr. Victor I. Ichikogu, a political commentator writes from Ughelli._
