A chieftain of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Delta State, Chief James Onosakponome, has called on former Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege, to defect to the NDC and contest the 2027 Delta State governorship election.
Onosakponome said the move would provide Omo-Agege the opportunity to reclaim what he described as the “stolen mandate” of the 2023 governorship election in Delta State.
The NDC stalwart made the remarks amid growing political speculation surrounding Omo-Agege’s future following his defeat in the Delta Central APC senatorial primary election to incumbent Senator Ede Dafinone.
According to Onosakponome, the former Deputy Senate President should no longer feel politically constrained by the belief that Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, enjoys the “first right of refusal” for the APC governorship ticket ahead of the 2027 elections.
He argued that if reports suggesting Omo-Agege’s planned defection to the NDC are accurate, then the former governorship candidate should focus on pursuing the governorship seat rather than returning to the Senate.
“If the reports that he is moving to the NDC are true, especially with many of his loyal supporters already aligning with the party, then there is absolutely nothing stopping him from contesting for governor,” Onosakponome stated.
“For a political figure of DSP Omo-Agege’s stature, returning to contest for Senate would amount to political demotion.”
The comments also come against the backdrop of a recent Federal High Court judgment in Abuja which nullified aspects of the timetable issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the 2027 general elections.
In the ruling delivered by Justice M.G. Umar, the court held that INEC exceeded its statutory powers under the Electoral Act 2026 by altering timelines relating to party primaries and candidate submissions.
The court ruled that the electoral body cannot lawfully abridge the statutory 120-day period provided under Section 29(1) of the Electoral Act for political parties to submit particulars of their candidates before elections.
Justice Umar further held that INEC also lacks the authority to shorten the 90-day window stipulated under Section 31 of the Act for the withdrawal and substitution of candidates.
Reacting to the broader political developments, Onosakponome maintained that Omo-Agege still commands significant grassroots support across Delta State and possesses the political structure needed to mount a strong governorship challenge.
“As one of his committed supporters, I strongly believe the 2023 governorship mandate was taken from him. Today, Omo-Agege controls over 240,000 organic votes across Delta State. With that kind of political strength, he should naturally be in the governorship race,” he said.
He further argued that with such a substantial support base, Omo-Agege should not consider stepping aside for any political figure in another party.
“At least, with over 240,000 loyal votes behind him, there is no reason for him to step down for anybody in another political party. He has the capacity and popularity to contest and win the governorship election,” Onosakponome added.
The NDC chieftain insisted that Omo-Agege’s political reach across Delta North, Delta Central, and Delta South senatorial districts makes him a formidable statewide contender capable of reshaping the political landscape ahead of the 2027 elections.
