Controversy Trails APC Ward Congress In Delta

The just concluded ward Congress of the All Progressive Congress, APC in Delta state have continued to be greeted by controversy and discontent voices across the state.

The controversy is coming from the bloc of the APC leader in the state, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor and incumbent senator representing Delta Central, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege as well as from the camp of one of the party’s governorship aspirant, Chief Great Ogboru.

BigPen Online can report that there have been no love lost between the trio prior to the conduct of the election over the weekend.

The tussle by the trio and strained relationship is mainly over who control the soul of the party ahead the 2019 and subsequent general elections in the state in 2023.

BigPen Online can report that while Ogboru is scheming to emerge as candidate of the party for the 2019 governorship election, Emerhor and Omo-Agege are plotting to position themselves ahead 2023.

Emerhor who is said to be enjoying the backing of incumbent National Chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun and some top echelon of the party including Minister for Transport, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, had alleged initial hijack of ward Congress materials and subsequent manipulation of the result in some part of the state.

Senator Omo-Agege and Ogboru who have pitched their tent with the new bloc of the party at the national level and also believed to have the backing of the presidency, were said to have also railroaded the Ward and Local Government Congress Committee led by Alhaji Sani Dododo into releasing result alleged to have been doctored.

Meanwhile, the result of the Ward and Local Government Congress Committee have continued to generate discontent voices around the state with the various camps of the APC expressing mixed feelings.

Announcing the results of the 270 wards of the 25 local government areas of the state at the Party’s State Secretariat in Asaba, the Chairman urged Deltans and party faithfuls to disregard any other result announced or paraded elsewhere as they are null and void.

According to him, “No other result will be accepted outside what we have here”, he said.

Dododo who explained why some of the results were not written on original results sheets said, “those who perpetrated the heinous crime of stealing, hiding or removing results sheets will be punished by the law”.

While maintaining that the just announced results represent the will of the people and actual voting, he however challenged those who have any grievance concerning the conduct and/or outcome of the last Saturday’s exercise, to seek redress in court.

In his reaction, Senator Omo-Agege said, “by the official results duly endorsed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and relevant security agencies, our Party’s grassroots across almost all 270 Wards in Delta has chosen a new reality that demands total focus on APC’s resolve to defeat the Delta State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in next year’s general elections. Today’s results confirm that our grassroots want unity of purpose, not divisiveness or acrimony”.

Omo-Agege, who was said to have shunned the Congress in his area however appealed to the new executives of the party to work assiduously to take the party to its height. “I strongly appeal to all our leaders and members to put the collective interest of our people beyond self. Progressive party politics is about the people, Efe Duku wrote on his behalf.

Reacting to the alleged results,  Olorogun Emerhor was quoted to have said that the ward congresses are guided by party guidelines and only results authenticated by national and the appeal panel can stand.

Reports credited to Emerhor say he had expressed disappointment that the Ward and Local Government Congress Committee’s Chairman alone went ahead to announce results which were allegedly doctored.

He opined that such action is an exercise in futility. He appeal to all APC faithfuls to remain calm and await the formal release of the ward congresses results by the national APC headquarters.

State chairman of the APC, Prophet Jones Ode Erue who had reportedly pitched his tent with the Omo-Agege/Ogboru bloc had earlier alleged that about 100 (out of 270) Ward Result Sheets meant for the Ward Congresses in the state were hijacked or stolen from officials by unknown persons.

Erue, in a statement reacting to the exercise, had described the alleged hijack of materials as a serious crime against the Party which must be condemn.

He call on security agents conduct “proper investigation and maximum punishment for whoever dared to attempt to desecrate our Party, no matter how low or highly placed they may be”.

The party chairman urged faithfuls to remain calm while they try to sort out the issues.

Julius Eras-Olabowu