By: Bulou Kosin.

WARRI: Chieftain of All Progressives Congress, APC, Delta State, Chief Ayirimi Emami, has criticised Chief Emmanuel Amgbaduba, APC Chairman , Delta South, over alleged abuse of party platform to favour incumbent Senator Thomas Joel Onowakpor representing Delta South.

In what Emami described as “undermine of internal democracy in the party”,
Chief Amgbaduba allegedly directed “state working committee members, state executive committee members, LGA chairmen and members of their executive committees as well as ward chairmen and members of their executive committees, that are of Delta South to be at Senator Onowakpor’s official declaration, May 1, 2026, at the Oleh township stadium.

Senator Joel Onowakpor is up against former Isoko South local government chairman, Chief Malik Itiako Ikpokpo and former State House of Assembly member, Hon. Michael Diden (aka Ejele) in the party primaries for the Senatorial contest.

Describing Onowakpor as an unpopular aspirant, Emami said; “Let nobody drag Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and President Bola Tinubu into their mud. Let them go and campaign or declare by themselves. Amgbaduba, our Senatorial District chairman should be cautioned that any aspirant who is yet to be a candidate cannot use the party machinery to advance his personal interests. You cannot call or be sending messages through your office for party faithfuls and chieftains to come for one aspirant’s expression of interest/ declaration”.

“If Joel is declaring, he should go and declare on his own. If he becomes the candidate of the party, if he wins, maybe through consensus or direct primary as instructed then we can all stand for him”, Emami argued, asking: “Are you not aware of what is happening in Lagos where they’re talking of consensus. They meet and talk”.

“We have adopted the President and the Governor right from onset. I have earlier said it that legislators are on their own. So take the party out of this so-called invitation forcing people to attend”, Emami insisted.