After Initial Violence, APC Members Show Commitment, Elect New LGA Leaders In Delta

Party faithfuls of All Progressive Congress (APC) in Delta State on Saturday demonstrated rare commitment to elect new leaders across the 25 Local Government chapters of the party, despite the initial orgy of violence in some party of the state.

This is coming against the bloody nature of the last Saturday ward Congress of the party which was characterized by killing of one of the contestants, identified as Jeremiah Ogioveta in Jeremi unit III, ward 10, Ughelli South of the state.

BigPen Online learnt that the Saturday Local Government Congress was relatively peaceful except in Ozoro where one bloc of the party was said to have unleashed mayhem on members of another camp.

The violence reportedly erupted when irate mobs descended apparently on a faction of APC led by Prince Maikpobi Okareme, Othe Peter, Omoviro Williams, Onaimo Luis among others in the area who tried to conduct parallel congress at the residence of late Senator Spanner Okpozo.

“All party leaders were seated at the party LGEA Secretariat when some members came with cameras to video us before they left for late Senator Spanner Okpozo to conduct their own set of congress while the former LGEA chairman and all the party leaders here in Isoko North were all seated waiting for INEC officials to come before we commence Congress.

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“Then we heard that the other faction are conducting their own Congress at the residence of late Senator Spanner Okpozo which is unlawful. It is not in line with our party constitution which we all kicked against. It was in a bid to stop this that resulted to the violence, an eyewitness said.

Our correspondent who monitored the election reports that in Ughelli, Udu, Sapele, Uviwe, LGA Congress, all in Delta Central the congress was very peaceful at all the approved venues.

Reports say the congress went smoothly in Isoko South which is under the control of Chief Esigie and Hon Benjamin Essein as delegates were seen voting while in some areas, contestants were returned unopposed by delegates.

At Aniocha North local government area, the congress was conducted in a peaceful atmosphere at Issele-Uku.

Leaders of the party who spoke separately from the local government council areas adjudged the Congress as peaceful unlike the last week ward congress.

One of the governorship aspirant of the party and former speaker of the Delta state House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Victor Ochei, described the congress as one of the most peaceful ever held in the area. He commended the delegates and party members over the maturity they displayed during the exercise.

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The former lawmaker also noted that officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security personnel who witnessed the congress played their respective roles professionally.

Leader of Delta APC, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, who participated in the LGA congress in Ughelli said; “You could witness that the congress was peaceful and the reason for the peaceful congress was because the leaders harmonized and came up with a unity list to organize the congress.

“In Ughelli north, we reconciled all interest and we came here to just do an affirmation and that is what is taking place all over the state”.

In a chat with the officials sent from Abuja to conduct the Ughelli LGA Congress, Mr. Daniel Ekori, Hon. Wisdom Ghaghara and Comrade Francis Okolosi who conducted the Ughelli North congress, said the election of the local government party chairman was peaceful and winner has emerged, adding that there were no issues.

APC’s front line governorship aspirant, Comrade Sunny Ofehe who participated in the election process in the designated venue of the congress in Ozoro, headquarters of Isoko North local government area, also commended party faithfuls across the state for showing commitment and zeal toward the process of electing new LGA executive members.

He said that the level of turn out across the state and the enthusiasm being demonstrated by party faithfuls and the leaders, despite seemingly political differences and pockets of violence in some part of the state, showed the people actually want change in Unity House Asaba comes 2019.

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It was not clear if embattled Senator, Obaisi Ovie Omo-Agege who represents Delta Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly and one of the governorship aspirant of the party, Chief Great Ogboru, participated in the congress.

Reports say Omo-Agege and Ogboru purportedly shunned last week Saturday Ward Congress of the party but later surfaced with result which they submitted to APC national secretarial in Abuja.

BigPen Online couldn’t independently verified if the Omo-Agege and Ogboru camps as earlier reported had organised a parallel congress in their LGA or in any part of the state as at the time of filling this report for publication.