Chief Great Ovedje Ogboru on Monday evening emerged as the governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Delta State ahead of the 2027 general elections. The victory followed a direct primary election that further exposed the widening leadership crisis within the party’s state chapter.
Primary Election Results
Chairman of the party’s governorship primary election committee, Prof. Patrick Sambo Williams, announced that Ogboru polled 28,454 votes to defeat his rival, Dr. Emmanuel Unuafe, who secured 1,183 votes in the exercise. The declaration came barely three days after a faction of the party led by Mr. Austin Okolie had announced Unuafe, a Senior Lecturer at Arden University, as the party’s candidate through a consensus arrangement.
The parallel declarations have intensified concerns over internal divisions within the Delta State chapter of the ADC, raising questions about the legitimacy of the party’s nomination process ahead of the 2027 governorship race.
Official Announcement
Announcing the outcome of the direct primary, Prof. Williams said Ogboru emerged victorious after securing the highest number of votes cast by party members across the state. “We have two contestants for the position of governor of Delta State. The first contestant is Dr. Emmanuel Unuafe, who scored 1,183 votes, while Chief Great Ogboru scored 28,454 votes,” Williams declared. “Chief Ogboru, having won more votes in the direct primary of the party, stands returned as the governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress in Delta State.”
Williams described the exercise as peaceful, transparent and hitch-free, commending party members for their orderly conduct during the primary election. He said the ADC was positioning itself to emerge as a formidable political force capable of taking over power in Delta State and across Nigeria in the 2027 elections.
Party’s Future Prospects
“We have a wonderful party. This is the new party to take over the government in the nation. Let us encourage, galvanise and mobilise the people to vote for the party. I am very sure we will win,” he stated. Addressing questions on the factional crisis rocking the party in Delta State, Williams maintained that his mandate was limited strictly to conducting the governorship primary election and not to adjudicate on competing factions within the party structure.
On the ADC presidential primary process, he explained that only the national leadership of the party was authorised to announce the final results after the collation of votes from wards, local government areas and states nationwide.
Ogboru’s Political Comeback
The emergence of Ogboru marks another major political comeback attempt for the veteran Delta politician, who has contested several governorship elections in the state under different political platforms over the years. His latest victory signals his determination to lead Delta State, despite previous electoral setbacks.
