Thugs, Not Police, Barricaded Delta APC Secretariat – Erue

The factional chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in Delta State, Prophet Jones Erue, has alleged that thugs, sponsored by his opponents had, last Friday, barricaded the state secretariat of the party and prevented him from performing the inauguration of the state executive committee.

Erue said his party members had to ignore the hoodlums to avoid bloodshed and death of innocent persons.

Daily Sun reports that the police had sealed the secretariat as both factions were said to be poised for a showdown over the rightful use of the office complex located, in Asaba.

But reacting to the development at Oleh in Isoko South council area, Erue denied that the police deprived his faction access to the secretariat, insisting that it was barricaded by hoodlums with blood thirsty eyes.

Erue who was sworn-in by APC nation chairman, Adams Oshiomhole as Delta State chairman on July 16, alleged that some leaders of the Cyril Ogodo faction led thugs to the secretariat, and later went to the state Commissioner of Police to lie that “thugs would burn down the place if he allows any meeting to hold at the secretariat.

“What l don’t know was the kind of lies they told the Police Commissioner that he has to order his boys to seal up the place. And how do they know thugs were coming to take over the secretariat. Why will police seal up the place instead of beefing up security to protect those holding the meeting?

“Before the meeting, we wrote to the Police Commissioner, Directorate of State Security (DSS) and other security agencies of our meeting, and a letter from the national secretariat of the party through the Director of Administration, Abdullahi Gashu’a, notifying them of my swearing-in as the state party chairman.

“I don’t know whose interest the police were protecting, because we wrote to them earlier for police protection. So why did they not honour our letter instead of sealing up the place? We forbid blood shed and death of innocent persons hence we ignored them, not that we cannot go in if we had wanted, because it is same thing they did at our convention that brought shame to us.

“To the best of my knowledge, Cyril Ogodo has never at any time be chairman of the party and l have not seen where he was addressed as party chairman apart from the pages of newspapers.

“And also the NEC decision which is the highest ruling body had stated that during the congresses the party chairman should be in charge and not the leaders.

“Again, on the 4th of June, 2018, there was a court injunction served by Barrister Fred Obe, restraining John Oyegun not to swear-in Ogodo but he ignored the order and went ahead to swear-in Ogodo, which we all know is court contempt.