A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former Delta State Commissioner, Chief Emmanuel Eboh, has urged President Bola Tinubu to approach recent political realignments in Delta State with caution, warning against what he described as the dangers of overlooking past political conduct in the pursuit of reconciliation.
In an open letter addressed to the President, Eboh argued that while political forgiveness and inclusiveness are important in a democracy, they should not come at the expense of vigilance and institutional memory.
The APC stalwart specifically raised concerns about former Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, accusing him of betraying the South’s collective position on power rotation during the build-up to the 2023 presidential election.
According to Eboh, Southern governors had agreed that the presidency should remain in the South in 2023 and that no Southern governor should accept a vice-presidential slot alongside a Northern presidential candidate. He alleged that despite hosting a meeting where the position was adopted, Okowa later accepted the vice-presidential nomination of Atiku Abubakar, who emerged as the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Eboh described the move as a betrayal of the Southern consensus and questioned Okowa’s political loyalty.
He further alleged that Okowa played a significant role in financing and supporting Atiku’s presidential campaign against President Tinubu during the 2023 elections. He also claimed that the former governor actively campaigned against Tinubu in Delta State, contributing to the President’s poor electoral performance in the state.
The APC leader cautioned the President against embracing political actors whose past actions, he said, demonstrated a willingness to abandon agreements and alliances for personal ambition.
Eboh also called on the First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, to be wary of what he described as attempts by some politicians to portray themselves as loyal allies of the administration despite their previous opposition to the President’s political aspirations.
The former commissioner expressed concern over the future of the APC in Delta State, alleging that long-standing party members and stakeholders were being sidelined following recent political developments involving defectors from the PDP.
He claimed that many legacy APC members felt marginalized and excluded from party structures despite their years of loyalty and contributions to the party’s growth in the state.
According to him, there were fears among party faithful that new political entrants had not fully embraced the ideals and directives of the APC, creating tensions within the state’s party structure.
Eboh urged President Tinubu to ensure that efforts to expand the party’s support base do not undermine the interests of loyal party members who stood by the APC during difficult periods.
While acknowledging the importance of political reconciliation and coalition-building, he stressed that such efforts should be balanced with recognition of loyalty, commitment and past sacrifices.
He concluded by reaffirming his support for the President and expressing confidence in the administration’s future, while urging Tinubu to remain attentive to concerns being raised by grassroots APC members in Delta State.