Senator representing Delta Central, Senator Ede Dafinone, on Saturday declared that the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Sapele Local Government Area has moved beyond internal divisions, saying the party is repositioning itself around unity, structure and electoral strength ahead of future elections.
Dafinone spoke at the Sapele Sports Stadium during the APC LGA Congress held on February 21, 2026, where new local government executives emerged through a consensus arrangement. The exercise was conducted by APC Returning Officer Blessing Akamugbe, with an official of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) present.
Key stakeholders at the congress included Delta State Commissioner for Environment, Ejiro Jamani; former state party chairman, Kingsley Esiso; Mr Austin Ayemidejor; and Delta State House of Assembly member, Perkins Umukoro, alongside ward leaders and grassroots mobilisers.
Francis Okpigben emerged as LGA Chairman, with Ikomi Gbubemi as Vice Chairman, Solomon Ofarn as Secretary, Omosuvie Henry as Assistant Secretary, Asagba Hero as Youth Leader and Elohor Augustina as Assistant Youth Leader, among other officers.
Addressing journalists, Dafinone described the outcome as a strategic consolidation for the party.
“Well, first of all, I have to congratulate our new LGA chairman,” he said. “We are halfway through the process now. We have completed the ward congresses. We have completed the LGA congress. You are here, you will see that it was peaceful, without rancour. It was done by consensus.”
He stressed that the consensus model prioritised electoral capacity over factional considerations.
“What we have is a sharing of power according to the strongest contenders in every unit, in every ward, and in every LGA,” he explained. “So, the party people were asked to sit down, engage themselves in that particular unit — who is the strongest candidate? Forget APC or PDP. Who delivers the votes on election day? And that is the principle used to arrive at executives at every ward and at every LGA.”
According to the senator, the political signal from Sapele is that competence and performance now outweigh internal alignments.
“What that will mean is that the party will field the strongest candidates for election, with a party that is filled with experienced politicians who can deliver the party at all levels,” Dafinone said.
He also dismissed lingering narratives of factional splits within the APC.
“We are today one united party working for the All Progressives Congress to deliver. I am from the previous house of the White Congress,” he noted.
On complaints from aggrieved members, Dafinone acknowledged minor grievances but maintained that concerns raised were duly addressed.
“All the complaints that were brought to me, I have investigated every single one of them and attended to.”
