2027: Oborevwori Has No Contender, His Performance Has Silenced His Critics – Okolugbo
*Says there’s no pathway for Chief Great Ogboru in 2027 elections
By Matthias Ogbagah
UGHELLI -Ahead of the country’s 2027 general elections, a chieftain of the country’s ruling political party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), Delta State and former DESOPADEC Commissioner, Mr Ken Okolugbo, has said the incumbent Governor of Delta State, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori has no contender.
Okolugbo, who asserted while appearing as a guest on Channels Television recently, added that none of the other political parties’ aspirants had demonstrated the political strength or pathway required to unseat the incumbent governor.
“Governor Oborevwori does not really have a contender,” Okolugbo declared.
According to him, some candidates had secured party tickets and were preparing to campaign against the governor, yet they don’t have the strength or pathway required to unseat the incumbent governor, stressing that his assessment was based on their current political standing and the realities on the ground in Delta.
While saying that the governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC doesn’t have what it takes to unseat the incumbent Governor, he said, “I don’t see a pathway for Chief Great Ogboru in these elections,” he said.
He noted that Chief Great Ovedje Ogboru is a political leader he respected and one who had allowed him to contest for the House of Representatives under the Alliance for Democracy in 2003, and that he had personally discussed the 2027 contest with him.
According to him, winning the governorship of Delta requires more than simply picking a party ticket, arguing that the state’s political terrain demands a candidate with a recognisable political trajectory, established structures and broad acceptability across the state.
“Delta State is a very big state. You don’t just come out to become the governor of Delta State,” he said.
He also questioned the prospects of candidates from relatively lesser-known political platforms, saying political visibility and experience would be critical in determining who could mount a serious challenge to Oborevwori.
He recalled that many politicians and political observers had initially doubted Oborevwori’s capacity to secure the PDP governorship ticket and subsequently win the 2023 election.
“Governor Oborevwori is doing very well,” he said, adding that the governor had “proved most of them wrong by the things he is doing.”
Okolugbo’s comments come at a time when opposition parties are grappling with the aftershocks of their internal primaries and the movement of aggrieved aspirants across political platforms.
The APC chieftain admitted that the party was not immune to internal disagreements, particularly following its recent primary elections, with some members reportedly considering alternative platforms to pursue their ambitions.
However, he suggested that the APC’s ability to mount an effective challenge in 2027 would depend largely on how quickly it could resolve its internal differences, unite its members and build a formidable campaign structure.
