Omo-Agege joins NDC, backs Obi Kwankwaso alliance for 2027

Former Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo-Agege has formally joined the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), aligning himself with the emerging political coalition expected to field former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi and ex-Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso for the 2027 presidential election.

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PREMIUM TIMES had reported that Mr Omo-Agege announced his resignation from the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Wednesday.

The former deputy Senate president had signed his resignation letter from the APC on 22 May, although the development was only announced publicly on Wednesday growing political tensions within the party in Delta State.

His resignation from the APC followed the victory of the incumbent senator representing Delta Central District, Ede Dafinone, over Mr Omo-Agege in the APC senatorial primary.

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In Thursday’s statement, Mr Omo-Agege said he joined the NDC after “weeks of reflection, wide consultations, and honest conversations” with political associates, supporters, and stakeholders across the country.

“Today, I formally announce my decision to join the National Democratic Congress (NDC),” he stated.

He also declared his intention to contest the Delta Central Senatorial seat in the 2027 general elections on the platform of the NDC.

Mr Omo-Agege thanked the leadership of the party, including former Bayelsa Governor Seriake Dickson, identified as the founder and leader of the NDC; the party’s National Chairman, Moses Cleopas; former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi; and Rabiu Kwankwaso, whom he described as a leader of the Kwankwasiyya Movement and an NDC chieftain.

The development is expected to strengthen ongoing coalition talks among opposition politicians seeking to challenge President Bola Tinubu and the APC in 2027.

Although the NDC has yet to formally announce its presidential ticket, Mr Obi and Mr Kwankwaso are widely seen as leading figures expected to fly the party’s flag in the next presidential election.

Mr Omo-Agege said the NDC represents “a credible, people-first alternative” built on inclusion, accountability, grassroots participation, and true federalism.

“It is a platform where public office is treated as a duty to the people, not a privilege for a few,” he said.

The former deputy Senate president criticised the state of infrastructure and governance in Delta State, lamenting that despite huge federal allocations, many communities still suffer from poor roads, weak healthcare systems, and unemployment.

“Right now, too much of Delta’s wealth sits in CBN accounts while our people suffer from bad roads, collapsed hospitals, and abandoned communities. This is not governance. It is a failure of leadership and a betrayal of public trust,” he stated.

Mr Omo-Agege said he would focus on rebuilding the NDC’s structures across Delta ahead of the 2027 elections.

“We mobilised at the grassroots, organised our people, and changed the political equation,” he said while referencing his role in building the APC in Delta State.

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“Our immediate priority will be to strengthen the party from the ward level upward, register new members, and prepare a credible slate of candidates for the 2027 elections,” he added.

Mr Omo-Agege represented Delta Central Senatorial District in the Senate between 2015 and 2023 and served as Deputy Senate President during the Ninth Senate.

He was also the APC governorship candidate in Delta State during the 2023 general election but lost to Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

His defection comes amid some cracks within the Delta APC, with former Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly Victor Ochei also resigning from the ruling party on Thursday and Ned Nwoko who represents Delta North Senatorial District complaining about recent political developments within APC in Delta State.