Odita Sunday 
By Odita Sunday
Former Minority Leader of the House of Representatives and All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency election, Rt. Hon. Ndudi Godwin Elumelu, has urged traditional leaders and residents of Asaba to unite and mobilise support for the party ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Elumelu made the call after meeting with Obis and other traditional leaders at the palace of Obi Ilomechina Obajanma, near Ogwa Umuagu, Asaba, Delta State.
Speaking with journalists after the meeting, Elumelu said the political leadership and people of Asaba had an important role to play in determining the political direction of Delta State, Delta North and the Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency in the forthcoming elections.
The former lawmaker appealed to the traditional leaders to encourage residents to participate actively in the electoral process and support APC candidates across the various elections.
According to him, Asaba, as the capital of Delta State and a major political and socio-economic centre, could not afford to remain indifferent to the political direction of the state and the country.
Elumelu specifically called on the people of Asaba to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Delta State Governor Sheriff Francis Oborevwori, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa for the Delta North Senatorial District, himself as the APC candidate for Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency and Hon. Bridget Anyafulu for the State House of Assembly.
He urged traditional leaders, community stakeholders and residents to work with the governor and other political actors to secure victory for the APC in the elections.
The APC candidate argued that Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency, Delta North Senatorial District and Delta State could not afford to remain in the opposition, urging residents to maintain political alignment with the ruling party at the federal level.
Elumelu, who was accompanied by members of his campaign council, said the meeting also provided an opportunity to engage the traditional institution on issues concerning the development, unity and future of Asaba and the wider Aniocha/Oshimili area.
He described Asaba as a community of strategic importance, citing its historical, cultural, political and economic relevance to Delta State and Nigeria.
The former Minority Leader also congratulated His Royal Majesty, Asagba Prof. Epiphany Chigbogu Azinge, SAN, the Obis and the people of Asaba on the occasion of the Asagba’s second New Yam Festival, known as Iwaji.
Elumelu described the celebration as an important expression of Asaba’s cultural heritage and a demonstration of the strength of its traditional institutions and communal values.
He called for the preservation of the customs, traditions, festivals and ways of life of the people, urging that they be passed on to future generations despite modernisation and changing lifestyles.
The APC candidate encouraged younger residents to take pride in their heritage and learn from the traditions handed down by their forebears, stressing that development should go hand in hand with the preservation of cultural identity.
Elumelu thanked the Obis and traditional leaders for receiving him and members of his campaign council, while wishing the Asagba and the people of Asaba a successful 2026 Iwaji Festival.
He prayed for peace, unity, prosperity and continued development in Asaba and across the Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency.
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