People made Okowa governor, he chased all of them away and now he made somebody governor, he doesn’t want the person to breathe. Everything is still about him. That’s not supposed to be so.

Former Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Victor Ochei, has revealed that dissatisfaction with the treatment of longstanding members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) under President Bola Tinubu’s leadership was a major factor behind his resignation from the party.

Ochei, who recently dumped the APC for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and declared his intention to contest the Delta North Senatorial seat in 2027, accused the ruling party of side-lining loyal members in favour of recent defectors.

Addressing members of his political support group, the former Speaker lamented that those who invested years building the APC in Delta State had been pushed aside after opening the party’s doors to new entrants.

According to him, the situation under President Tinubu contrasts sharply with what existed during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

“During Buhari, we were better off. They told us Tinubu rewards loyalty, but behold what is happening. He handed over our party to people that just joined,” Ochei said.

He maintained that he played a key role in fostering unity among APC stakeholders in Delta State, only to be excluded after helping to integrate influential politicians into the party.

“I am an old member of the APC. They came and met me. I opened the door for them. I did everything to ensure they were accepted. I went to Nwaoboshi, I pleaded with Ned Nwoko to unite all of them and when they settled in, they locked us out,” he stated.

Beyond his grievances with the APC, Ochei said his decision to seek the Delta North Senate seat was motivated by what he described as an effort to stop the emergence of a political dynasty in the district.

He accused former Governor of Delta State, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, of attempting to dominate elective positions in Delta North through members of his family and close relatives.

“Okowa is bringing himself to contest the Senate, his in-law House of Representatives and his daughter House of Assembly. What impunity is that? Is he the only one in Delta North? He believes nobody can challenge him,” Ochei alleged.

The former lawmaker insisted that his senatorial ambition was not driven by personal political interests but by a desire to challenge what he termed political impunity.

“I’m contesting the Senate not because I actually wanted to, but somebody needs to challenge this impunity. So, it’s not about me, it’s about Delta North people,” he said.

Ochei disclosed that he formally resigned from the APC on May 9 and has since distanced himself from all party activities.

He also claimed that Delta State Governor Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori reached out to him in a bid to persuade him not to contest against Okowa.

“The governor called me that I should not run against Okowa, and I told him, how can Okowa be contesting, his daughter is contesting and he’s still bringing his in-law? That is an insult to the collective intelligence of the people of Delta North and I won’t allow it,” he said.

According to Ochei, Governor Oborevwori later asked what could be done to change his position, but he rejected any form of political negotiation.

“He asked what I wanted to persuade me and I said there is nothing you can give me. So it’s not about Ochei, it’s about Delta North,” he added.

The former Speaker further dismissed the notion that financial influence would determine the outcome of the anticipated senatorial contest.

Drawing from his experience during the 2014 governorship primary election, Ochei argued that political success is not always tied to the amount of money spent.

“He may have the money to spend, he has access to state funds, but he should know that if money gives power, he wouldn’t have become governor in 2015. The kind of money I had then, Okowa has not seen. I outspent him during the primaries but at the end he emerged,” he claimed.

Ochei said his campaign would focus on preserving a political environment where individuals from ordinary backgrounds can still aspire to public office.

“I was the son of a nobody when I contested and I won. The system allowed it, but today they are destroying that system that helped them. I want to break that barrier and give young people a chance to aspire,” he said.

He also accused Okowa of refusing to relinquish influence despite occupying several strategic public offices over the years.

“People made Okowa governor, he chased all of them away and now he made somebody governor, he doesn’t want the person to breathe. Everything is still about him. That’s not supposed to be so,” Ochei stated.

The former Speaker argued that after serving as councillor, local government chairman, commissioner, Secretary to the State Government, senator, governor and vice-presidential candidate, Okowa should allow a new generation of leaders to emerge.

“God has blessed him — councillor to chairman to commissioner to SSG to senator to governor and even vice-presidential candidate. What else do you want? It is better to leave the stage when the ovation is loudest,” he said.

• Report by The Blaze Newspaper