Some chieftains of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta state boycotted the state congress held at the weekend in the South-South state.
A press statement signed by 19 chieftains of the party under the aegis of Delta APC leaders’ council and the state working committee said the process was conducted in breach of an agreement for a consensus arrangement to accommodate all tendencies in the state.
The statement was signed by Minister of State for Labour, Festus Keyamo who is the Chairman of the Council; Dr. Alex Ideh and Honourable Cairo Ojougboh, Co-Chairman and Secretary, respectively.
The list also included, former governorship candidate, Chief Great Ovedje Ogboru, former Speaker of Delta State House of Assembly, Honourable Victor Ochei, amongst others.
The party chieftains recalled that at a troubleshooting meeting at the instance of former national chairman of the party and chairman, APC South-South Reconciliation Committee, Chief Odigie Oyegun, all the power blocs resolved to use a consensus list for ward, local and state congresses.
They expressed disappointment that the APC Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee led by Yobe State Governor, Mala Buni allegedly connived with Senator representing Delta Central and Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo Agege to observe the agreement in the breach.
“Severally the council of leaders met with the leadership of the CECPC to report the uncooperative attitude of Senator Ovie Omo-Agege towards the recommendations of the committee. The CECPC Chairman, H.E. Mai Mala Buni, assured the leadership council he was going to ask Sen. Ovie Omo-Agege to make sure he attends the leadership meetings and cooperate with the committee. In all Sen. Ovie Omo-Agege disregarded the directives of the national leadership of the party and refused to attend any of the meetings called by Chief Oyegun and subsequent meetings of the leadership council, insisting that he would be the sole administrator of the party in Delta state. “
They consequently resolved to abstain from participating in Saturday congress as they noted that no ward and local government congresses were conducted in Delta state.
The statement read in part: “We as council of leaders and the majority of the dtate executive committee want to reiterate our position and our resolve that, as leaders of the party here in Delta state, we are not a part of that kangaroo state congress organised by Senator Omo-Agege and his cohorts.
“We are calling on the national leadership of the party to cancel and declare that sham they call congress null and void;
“We stand on the initial position of the party, and present the original consensus ward to state Exco list as directed by the leadership of the party and put together by the leaders and stakeholder of the party from across all tendencies and factions within the party here in Delta dtate;
“We would not recognise any other executive other than the consensus executives put together by the leaders and stakeholders, which have been affirmed as the wards, LGAs and state executives, by all APC faithful across the state;
” We enjoin all APC faithful across Delta state to remain focused and steadfast, as we assure them that the party will be redeemed and rescued from the hands of those who want to trade with what we all suffered to build, just for their selfish ends;
“The leaders and executives of the party would be calling general meetings of all APC faithful across the three Senatorial Districts to reassure them that we are ready to take over Delta State from PDP come 2023.”
