The National Secretary of the Nigerian Hotels Association (NHA), Prince Amos Uyo, has attributed the decisive victory recorded by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the recent Delta State House of Assembly by-election in Udu Constituency to the consolidation of political structures following the movement of key Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders into the ruling party.
Uyo, who is also the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Page Five Logistics Nigeria Limited and Page Five Hotels and Suites, Asaba, spoke during an interview on Press Centre, a programme on DOTT TV, Uyo.
The Ozoro-born businessman and politician said the coming together of the former PDP structures with the APC had significantly expanded the ruling party's grassroots network, arguing that the development was reflected in the wide margin by which the APC candidate, Okolosi Ator, won the by-election.
According to him, the APC's grassroots strength had been boosted by the political realignment, adding that the leadership style of Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, had also contributed to greater cohesion within the party.
He said, “Now PDP and APC have come together. The grassroots strength of the party has increased. You now have a lot of strength at the grassroots level, and that is the result of the great winning margin of APC that we saw in the just-concluded election.”
The APC candidate won the Udu Constituency by-election with 8,724 votes, while the PDP candidate polled 214 votes.
Uyo, however, cautioned against interpreting the by-election result as an automatic indication of what would happen in the 2027 general election, stressing that the two elections were fundamentally different.
He said unlike a constituency by-election, the 2027 elections would involve voters across the country and could produce different dynamics.
On the broader political realignment in the country, Uyo said the APC had been able to strengthen its position through sustained grassroots mobilisation and membership registration.
He argued that political parties that failed to build structures at the polling-unit level could find it difficult to compete effectively during elections.
“Elections are won and lost at the polling unit,” he said, adding that the APC had gone deep into the grassroots to build its membership base while opposition parties were largely preoccupied with internal realignments.
Uyo also traced some of the challenges confronting the PDP to its internal crisis, recalling that he was a delegate to the party in 2022.
He said the principle of “winner takes all” could undermine internal cohesion, stressing the need for compromise and accommodation among party stakeholders.
On the emergence of the “Rainbow Coalition” associated with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, Uyo described it as a political arrangement driven by interests and the objective of supporting President Bola Tinubu's re-election bid in 2027.
He said the coalition could also have implications for political calculations beyond 2027, as political actors were already positioning themselves for the 2031 contest.
Uyo, however, said Nigerians should not allow continuous political calculations to overshadow governance and development. According to him, the focus should shift from politics to administration and the delivery of tangible benefits to citizens.
He expressed concern over growing political apathy among young Nigerians, particularly those who participated actively in the 2023 elections but became discouraged by experiences relating to voter registration and the electoral process.
Uyo said such experiences could discourage young people from participating in subsequent elections, stressing the need to restore confidence in the democratic process.
On political violence and the use of youths as political thugs, he called for a reorientation of young Nigerians, saying unemployment and the quest for quick wealth had made some youths vulnerable to political manipulation.
He recalled his early working days in Asaba, saying he started as a kitchen attendant at Oma Guest House in 2007 and earned N4,800 as his first salary.
Uyo said his experience demonstrated that young people could build successful careers through legitimate work rather than seeking quick financial gains.
He urged youths to acquire skills and engage in productive ventures, saying such economic independence would make it more difficult for politicians to recruit them for violent activities.
“If you have something meaningful, a skill, or something meaningful doing, you will not allow a politician to come and offer you N2,000 or N3,000 to become a thug,” he said.
