FEATURED

Fierce Political Rumpus As Delta APC Stakeholders Disagree Over Registration Exercise

Published

4 years ago

February 16, 2021

BIGPEN

A fierce battle is brewing in the Delta State chapter of the All Progressive Congress (APC) as some leaders of the party disagreed over the ongoing membership revalidation exercise in the state.

BIGPENNGR.COM understands the development is coming after the Minister of State, Labour and Employment Festus Keyamo (SAN), raised the alarm over the handling of the exercise, which he said may lead to chaos, if not well handled.

This medium reports that the fresh rumpus is also coming after Keyamo had specifically stated that the Delta state APC has no clear leader.

Reports say Keyamo made the statement which has become controversial in a protest note dated February 10th, 2021, and addressed to the National Chairman of APC Caretaker Committee, Mai Mala Buni, the Deputy President of the Senate, Ovie Omo-Agege, chairman of the registration exercise in the state, Austin Wilson Anyaegbu and other top party leaders.

He said there should be no discrimination in the distribution of registration materials in the state. He said as a Minister, he is not asking for any undue advantage during the registration.

He said: “As you are set to distribute your materials to the LGA coordinators on Wednesday, you must bear in mind the need to balance all the delicate interests within the APC in Delta State in such a way that you don’t put the entire materials meant for any LGA in the hands of two coordinators solely nominated by a particular political leader in the state, including myself.

“That will be unfair, unjust and unacceptable and will be a recipe for chaos in the state. My sources tell me that this is exactly what you plan to do. You need to stop.

“The evolution of APC in Delta State is unique to the extent that a clear Party leader has not emerged under whom everyone have agreed to congregate. At least, no such decision has been taken by stakeholders in Delta State.

“I can say this confidently because I am a founding member and a leader of the Party in the State. The fact that the stakeholders have not been able to do this is a testament to the different tendencies that exists within the Party in the State.

Meanwhile, part of his statement, which claimed there is no “clear leader” in Delta APC is already generating ripples. This is after some stakeholders, in a statement faulted the statement, emphasizing that the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege is the leader of the party in the state.

The APC stakeholders in a joint statement signed by national caucus member, serving and former House of Representatives members, said the Minister was trying to truncate the ongoing exercise in the state with the claims, stating that they will no longer be silent anymore on his alleged onslaught against the party.

“We the undersigned Stakeholders of our great party, the APC have watched with constraint the non-stop onslaught on our party by self styled leaders who have seemingly hijacked stakeholdership of our party and continue to destroy its fortunes.

“These so called stakeholders have never won any election in history and have no proof of delivery to the fortunes of our party even in their units.

“We the undersigned stakeholders have won elections and have huge followership in our State. We have resolved not to keep quiet while our party is being destroyed.”

The stakeholders said the ongoing APC membership revalidation and registration exercise should be allowed to go on without any further interference and without excluding anyone.

According to the stakeholders, the committee charged with the responsibility of revalidating and registering members should be left intact and be allowed to perform their functions without any form of distractions.

The press statement was signed by AVM Frank Ajobene (former Gov/ Nat), Chief Hycenth Enuha(national caucus), Hon. Francis E. Waive (serving HoR), Hon. Temmi Harriman(former HoR), Hon. Halims Agoda(former HoR), Hon. Doris Uboh (former HoR), Hon. Paulinus Akpeki(former HoR), Hon. Innocent Anidi (serving HoA).

Meanwhile, following the irreconciliation differences, the ruling party’s leadership was said to have suspended the process in the state. The decision of the national caretaker committee of the APC was conveyed in a statement by the state publicity secretary of the party, Sylvester Imonina, on Thursday, February 11.

Imonina revealed that the national leadership of the party reached the resolve after receiving complaints from some party members on how the exercise is to be conducted.

Part of the statement read: “The Delta APC chapter hereby formally announce to teeming party faithful that following pockets of complaints, the national caretaker committee of the party has deemed it necessary to suspend membership registration/revalidation exercise in the state.

“Though, the party is aware that members of the public and party faithful were in a high spirit and were looking forward to taking APC to a higher level by mobilising all and sundry who believe in the party for the exercise.

“Unfortunately, the expectation of party faithful had been put on hold for no fault of theirs. In fact, the suspension of the exercise came when it was least expected.”