A former Delta State Commissioner for Education, Dr Tony Nwaka, has reflected on his political journey, noting with irony that those who once ridiculed his defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC) have now joined the same party.
In a statement issued on Friday, Nwaka recounted the backlash he received more than four years ago when he first embraced the APC.
Among his critics, he said, was former governor Ifeanyi Okowa, who, alongside Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and other Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) figures in the state, have now crossed over to the APC.
The former commissioner, who previously served in Emmanuel Uduaghan’s administration, recalled the ridicule he faced during the 2023 election campaign period when he was one of the few openly supporting the APC in Delta State.
“It was the only APC billboard flying across both wings of any road in Asaba, the capital of Delta State. That was sometime before the 2022 primary election of the APC, preparatory to the 2023 general elections,” he said.
“The caption on it was ‘YOU KNOW ME, I KNOW YOU,’ which later became a common refrain within jovial conversations. I had similar billboards at the junction of the airport, Ibusa Junction, Cable Point, Midwifery Junction, and other locations.
“They were the only APC banners flying across the capital territory of Asaba before the primary election in 2022.”
According to Nwaka, the public mockery came not only from strangers but also from acquaintances and relatives.
“I was mocked by some people! ‘Hahaha! See Nwaka, he has joined APC,’ ‘Nwaka has started carrying a broom,’ ‘Is he not ashamed? His billboards are the only APC banners in Asaba,’” he recalled.
“What did I not hear? Some relatives will even call me on the phone and say, ‘Tony, my brother, don’t you think you’ve made a big mistake? Please go and remove those APC banners and return to PDP.’”
Despite the intense criticism and even removal of some of his banners, Nwaka said he chose to stay with the APC—even after failing to win at the polls and being passed over for political appointments.
He expressed gratitude for the shift in political tides now evident in Delta State.
“You can imagine my joy today, when I now drive around Asaba and see APC flags, banners, and billboards flying across every nook and cranny of the city. Is God not wonderful?” he said.
As a former chairman of Aniocha South Local Government Area, Nwaka advised fellow politicians not to be discouraged when standing alone, asserting that outcomes are ultimately shaped by divine will, not public sentiment.