A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta State, Adelabu Bodjor, has rejected claims that O’tega Emerhor stepped down his senatorial ambition in 2023 in favour of Ede Dafinone, describing the narrative as misleading and without foundation.
Bodjor, a pioneer chairman of the APC in Delta Central, maintained that Emerhor never formally declared interest in the 2023 senatorial race, and therefore could not have withdrawn from a contest he did not enter.
His remarks come in response to recent calls by the Emerhor Political Family (EPF), led by Martins Ohwehwo, urging Senator Dafinone to step down ahead of the 2027 elections on the grounds of equity and party cohesion.
According to Bodjor, any alleged private arrangement involving Emerhor and other political actors does not bind the Dafinone camp. He stressed that such claims should not be used to pressure the incumbent senator.
“For a start, Emerhor did not declare in 2023, so it is incorrect to suggest he stepped down,” Bodjor said. “If any private understanding existed, it remains personal and cannot be imposed on others who were not part of it.”
He further argued that aspirants should test their popularity through open competition rather than rely on sentiment or indirect pressure. Bodjor noted that Emerhor has yet to publicly express interest in the 2027 race, making calls for Dafinone to step aside premature.
“If Emerhor intends to contest, the honourable path is to declare and face other aspirants in a free and fair primary,” he stated. “Resorting to subtle pressure tactics only raises questions about confidence in his ability to win.”
Bodjor also suggested that some supporters of Emerhor may be wary of a competitive primary, warning against attempts to “demystify” established political figures through backdoor strategies.
Reflecting on past elections, he recalled that Emerhor was the APC’s senatorial candidate in 2013 and its governorship candidate in 2015 but did not secure victory in either contest. He advised that the party should allow room for new candidates to emerge.
“He should not always be the party’s candidate,” Bodjor added.
He also expressed concern over what he described as contradictions within the party, noting that some members who previously complained about marginalisation are now calling for an elected APC senator to step down.
On the issue of equity, Bodjor argued that political fairness in Delta Central has traditionally been based on distribution across local governments and federal constituencies—not individual arrangements.
He pointed out that the Ughelli Federal Constituency has produced the senator for a significant portion of the democratic period since 1999, questioning the consistency of current equity arguments.
“If equity must be considered, then it should be applied fairly,” he said. “It would be difficult to justify further concentration of the position in one area without broader balance.”
Bodjor concluded by urging party stakeholders to prioritise transparency, fairness, and internal democracy as preparations for the 2027 elections gather momentum.
