By Eseoghene Emuke
The Delta State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) says the Engr. Omeni Sobotie-led State Executive of the party remains the only existing structure in the state.
It also brushed aside insinuations that there is factional leadership in the state.
Delta APC in a statement by Mr. Pius Ituru of the Directorate of Media and Publicity, described as afterthought and illegal, an alleged harmonized list being paraded on social media by Olorogun Festus Keyamo’s supporters.
The statement insisted that there was no harmonized list after the October 16th Congress.
“We wouldn’t have responded to the misadventures and madness of a confused PDP sponsored group of saboteurs in APC, considering the fact that their nefarious and anti-party activities have exposed themselves before the national leadership of our great party, but the fact that some innocent and unsuspecting party faithful are being misinformed and misguided has necessitated this response to set records in proper perspectives.
“First, it is important to reassure all party faithful and all newly elected and inaugurated executive committee members of our party at all levels that congresses duly conducted in Delta State were in strict compliance with the National Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) guidelines.
“As such, there is nothing like a harmonized list after congresses have been concluded in Delta state. That is a mere dream of a confused people who chose to embark on a wild goose chase. It is so ridiculous, absurd and shameful that after boycotting the congresses and having failed in the court, they now chose an ignoble path of deception. Deceiving party faithful that they have followed Congress guidelines to arrive at consensus.
“Recall that these confused group of persons, many of whom have now been suspended from the party in their wards, took the party to court and boycotted the Congresses claiming that the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, CECPC was illegal and unconstitutional, and as such, would not participate in congresses conduct by the CECPC. There was no report of parallel congresses in Delta state, therefore talking about harmonization is mere rubble rousing from a few confused persons.
“Secondly, members of the party should also know that there was never a time the National Leadership of our great party, APC approved, recognized nor inaugurated any committee known as “Delta State APC Leaders Council” to oversee the affairs of the party in Delta state where there is an inaugurated state Caretaker Committee as it is in all the 36 states chapters of our party.
“We should also recall that on the 15th of October 2021, this group of disgruntled elements failed in their attempt to scuttle the party congresses as the High Court in Asaba ruled against them and equally fined them the sum of two hundred thousand naira (#200,000).
“Let it be known to faithful party members that the National leadership of our party has made it clear that only Congresses conducted by Constituted Congress Committees are valid. It is so pitiable that some supposed learned men could be so blinded by so much inordinate ambitions so as to pride themselves as the stakeholders and ultimate leaders of the party in the state while they refer to the party leadership as ‘few leaders’ and ‘one man show’.
“More ridiculous is the fact that these men and women failed to realise that non of the members of this so called Leader’s Council is a member of the highest decision making organ (National Executive Committee, NEC) of the party where we have the Deputy Senate President and leader of the party in Delta State and South South Nigeria, Senator Ovie Omo Agege, the outgoing Party State Chairman, Prophet Jones Ode Erue and Rev. Francis Waive as members.
“In their own warped thinking, they still see it as one man show in a leadership structure that has the likes of serving Senator, Senator Peter Nwaoboshi, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, founding leader, all APC House of Assembly members and many other notable leaders whose class is even far above them.
“All faithful party members are hereby advised to be careful and not be misled by the anti-party activities of these political saboteurs who openly sponsored the SDP against our party in the last Delta State House of Assembly by-election in Isoko South constituency 1.
“Let it be known to everyone that the party shall no longer condone indiscipline within its fold as we move with focus towards winning 2023 elections”, the statement read.
