Call Emerhor To Order, Ijaw APC’s Congress Aspirants Tell Odigie-Oyegun

Contestants vying for various elective positions in the forthcoming All Progressive Congress, APC’s State, Local Government and Ward congresses have call on National Chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie to call APC leader in Delta State, Olorogun O’rtega Emerhor to order.

The aspirants, particularly those from Ijaw ethnic nationality have raised concern over Emerhor’s meddlesome into composition of new State, LGA and Ward executives of the party in their area.

The contestants alleged that Emerhor had gave directives that lists be compiled to enable outgoing executives at the Ward and local government levels be retained during the Congresses.

This directives which is currently being opposed, is against the constitution of the APC, the aspirants say, calling on the national leadership of APC to call Emerhor to order and halt the compilation of lists or be ready for stiff resistance from aggrieved aspirants from the Ijaw axis of the state.

The warning was contained in a statement signed by four aspirants namely: Mr Pele Demebide of Ward 7, Burutu Local Government Area, Mr Bibaikefie Ebike, Hon Geoffrey Dibofa and Comrade Kesse Asiuwhu, who are vying for posts of State Financial Secretary, Burutu and Bomadi APC chairmen and secretary, Patani Local Government Area respectively.

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The statement which made available to BigPen Online on Wednesday in Warri by the aspirants who spoke separately, said the APC leaders should provide a level-playing ground for all aspirants who are interested in vying for posts in the executives during the coming Congress.

One of the aspirant, Demebide said, “We want the party leadership to call Chief Emerhor to order that he should not interfere with the Ijaw local government areas during the APC Congresses.

“He’s not an Ijaw man and does not have right to interfere in the Ijaw nation. He should face his Urhobo ethnic nationality.

“More so, he should not compile any list for the Ijaw nation. We’re strongly advocating that the tenure of the current executives have expired and if they want to return, by law, they are free but they should return to the field to test their popularity for a possible relection.

“No one-man should compile the list. Everybody should face the Congress. The list comprise party excos at the Ward, local government and state levels the party leaders should exclude the Ijaw LGAs and let all of us test our popularity,” the lawyer warned.

Another of the aggrieved aspirant, Mr Ebike said Ijaws desired the best representatives at executive levels in order to churn out good candidates to represent the party at all levels.

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“We’re against the procedure of retaining the outgoing excos by imposition. Emerhor should not bring back any exco. They should be subjected to election process. If Emerhor doesn’t back down, we’ll follow it up to any length.

“They are trading with the party. We want credible people at the executive level so that we can take over Delta in 2019. We won’t allow trading with the party,” the Bomadi APC chairmanship aspirant noted.

Story by Julius Eras-Olabowu