A fresh rift has emerged within the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Delta State, as Deputy Governor, Monday Onyeme, and Senator Ned Nwoko clash over who should lead the party in the Delta North Senatorial District.

The power tussle intensified ahead of a key APC Delta North meeting scheduled for June 14 at Nwoko?s residence, with Onyeme questioning Nwoko?s claim to the party?s leadership in the zone.

Nwoko, who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party earlier in the year, is seen by some APC stakeholders as the most senior party figure in Delta North.

But Onyeme, also from the same district, has countered that the role of political convener traditionally lies with the deputy governor.

In a social media post by his Press Secretary, Mr. Fidelis Egugbo, Onyeme cited precedents from previous administrations to back his claim.

?Deputy Governor traditionally played a central role in convening political meetings in the district,? the statement said. ?So, Sir Monday Onyeme should now assume a similar unifying role within the APC and propose a private meeting with Senator Nwoko to prevent factionalism.?

Egugbo referenced how, during Chief James Ibori?s tenure, political meetings in Delta North were routinely held at the Obior home of the then-deputy governor, Chief Benjamin Elue.

The tradition reportedly continued under former Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan with the late Prof Amos Utuama.

But Nwoko?s camp disagrees. A senior APC chieftain, who preferred to remain anonymous, told The PUNCH on Thursday, ?Senator Nwoko is the high-ranking officer in Delta North, and by the party rules, he remains the Delta North leader of the party. Is Onyeme the deputy governor of Delta North? How can he assume the party leader of our district??

Efforts to reach Senator Nwoko for his reaction were unsuccessful, as calls and messages to his phone went unanswered as of press time.

The leadership wrangling has reopened old wounds in the APC, which have lingered since Nwoko?s exit from the PDP in February 2025. He was said to have left the PDP over frustrations that former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa allegedly blocked his emergence as senatorial leader of the party.

Amid the internal political storm, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori has defended the broader political realignment that saw him and other former PDP stalwarts move to the APC, saying the decision was made to reposition Delta State for growth ahead of the 2027 elections.

Speaking through the Commissioner for Works (Rural Roads), Mr. Charles Aniagwu, the governor said, ?Our desire is not to kill PDP but to move Delta forward, and so we changed our drinking pattern. It was obvious that PDP won?t make headway in the forthcoming 2027 election, and so the need to move to the APC.?

Aniagwu also dismissed criticisms that the administration was losing control. ?Anyone suggesting that the administration is losing grip is far from the truth. We remain committed to delivering results,? he said.

As part of activities to mark the administration?s second anniversary, Aniagwu listed several infrastructure projects lined up for commissioning, including the Beneku Bridge, Ishiagu-Ewulu Road, erosion control in Okpanam, and several key medical facility upgrades across Asaba, Warri, and Oghara.

But for now, political attention remains fixed on the leadership battle between the deputy governor and the senator, with many watching to see if the June 14 APC meeting will ease tensions or deepen the party?s internal cracks. (The PUNCH)

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