By George Ozalla
Former Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, has formally resigned from the All Progressives Congress, APC, and joined the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, declaring his intention to contest the Delta Central Senatorial seat in the 2027 general elections.
Omo-Agege made the declaration in a detailed press statement issued Thursday, describing his decision as the outcome of weeks of consultations with political associates, supporters, stakeholders, and grassroots leaders across Delta State and beyond.
The former governorship candidate of the APC in Delta State said the move to the NDC was driven by what he called the urgent need for a people-oriented political platform capable of restoring accountability, transparency, and effective leadership in both Delta State and Nigeria.
According to him, the consultations revealed a growing dissatisfaction among Deltans over the state of governance and the widening disconnect between the enormous resources accruing to the state and the living conditions of ordinary citizens.
He stated that the people were yearning for leadership that listens, acts with integrity, and delivers practical results capable of improving daily life.
Omo-Agege thanked the leadership of the NDC for what he described as constructive engagements leading to his defection, specifically acknowledging Senator Seriake Dickson, identified as the party’s leader and founder; Senator Moses Cleopas, National Chairman of the party; former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi, described as the party’s presidential aspirant; and Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, whom he referred to as a key chieftain of the movement.
He said their collective commitment to building what he called a credible and people-first political alternative convinced him that the NDC offered the right platform to pursue the interests of Delta State and Nigeria.
The former lawmaker described the NDC as a party founded on inclusion, grassroots participation, accountability, and true federalism, stressing that it was designed to return power to ordinary citizens rather than a privileged political elite.
Announcing his senatorial ambition, Omo-Agege declared that his decision to return to the National Assembly was not motivated by personal ambition but by what he described as persistent calls from constituents in Delta Central who wanted him back in the Senate to continue providing representation.
He maintained that the mandate entrusted to him by the people in 2019 remained alive and could not be ignored.
Speaking extensively on the condition of Delta State, the former Deputy Senate President lamented what he described as the contradiction between the state’s enormous economic potential and the hardship faced by residents.
He observed that despite being one of Nigeria’s major oil and gas producing states with vast agricultural potential and an energetic youthful population, many communities across the state continued to suffer from poor infrastructure, unemployment, collapsing healthcare facilities, and inadequate educational systems.
He further stated that several roads across communities in the state had remained impassable for long periods, while primary healthcare centres lacked equipment, medicines, and personnel.
According to him, many young graduates had been left without opportunities despite their qualifications, while small business owners struggled to survive in what he described as a hostile economic environment worsened by poor infrastructure and weak governance.
Omo-Agege questioned what he called the growing gap between federal allocations running into hundreds of billions of naira and the realities faced by ordinary citizens in Delta State.
He alleged that much of the state’s wealth remained trapped in accounts while communities continued to suffer neglect, describing the situation as a betrayal of public trust and a failure of leadership.
“Deltans deserve better than press releases, billboards and photo opportunities,” he stated, adding that public office should not be treated as a personal enterprise.
The former governorship candidate insisted that meaningful change would only emerge through disciplined and transparent leadership, stressing that the NDC was built specifically to confront what he called the cycle of political failure in the country.
Recalling his political experience in Delta State, Omo-Agege said he understood the demands of building a viable political structure from the grassroots, noting that he previously transformed the APC into a competitive force in the state when many doubted it could survive.
He said he would bring the same political energy and organizational experience into the NDC, with immediate plans to strengthen the party at ward level, expand membership, and prepare credible candidates for the 2027 elections.
He also assured supporters that he had no intention of returning to Abuja merely to occupy a seat in the Senate, stressing that his mission would be to aggressively pursue the interests of Delta Central and ensure the district secured fair federal representation and development projects.
According to him, his legislative priorities would include job creation, support for small and medium-scale enterprises, agricultural expansion, healthcare improvements, educational reforms, and greater accountability in the management of public funds.
Omo-Agege pledged to work across Delta North, Delta South, and Delta Central in the interest of unity and balanced development, warning that a divided Delta State would remain politically weak at the national level.
He further revealed that the NDC intended to field candidates for governorship and other elective offices who possessed the competence, humility, and integrity required to reposition the state.
On the national scene, the former Senate leader declared that Nigeria required what he called a complete reset anchored on leadership capable of restoring hope, strengthening the economy, protecting citizens, and respecting the rule of law.
He vowed to work for the victory of the party’s presidential candidate and support efforts aimed at building what he described as a government that truly places Nigerians first.
Addressing young people, women, elders, traditional rulers, and registered voters, Omo-Agege urged citizens not to remain passive ahead of the 2027 elections.
He encouraged youths to organize politically and make their voices impossible to ignore, while calling on women to mobilize communities and families toward active political participation.
He equally appealed to traditional rulers and elders to lend their voices to what he described as a movement for political renewal in Delta State and Nigeria.
The former Deputy Senate President emphasized the importance of the Permanent Voter’s Card, PVC, describing it as more powerful than money, intimidation, or propaganda.
He maintained that the 2027 elections would mark a decisive battle between continued political mediocrity and a new direction rooted in accountability and service.
Political observers believe Omo-Agege’s defection may significantly alter the political calculations ahead of the 2027 elections in Delta State, particularly in Delta Central where he retains a strong political structure and loyal grassroots support base.
His exit from the APC also comes amid lingering grievances among many of his supporters who insist that he was unfairly edged out during the internal power struggles and controversial alignments that followed the last APC primaries and governorship contest in Delta State. Within sections of the party, there has remained a persistent belief that Omo-Agege, despite his extensive grassroots influence and dominant political machinery, did not receive the level of institutional backing expected after emerging as one of the strongest opposition figures in the state. Many of his loyalists have repeatedly argued that internal sabotage, elite compromises, and divisions within the party weakened what they considered a clear pathway to victory, frustrations that may have contributed to his eventual decision to seek a new political platform ahead of 2027.
