Paul Osuyi, Asaba
An All Progressive Congress (APC) chairmanship aspirant for Ward 10 (Jeremiah III) in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State, Mr Jeremiah Oghoveta, was stabbed to death Saturday following an unprovoked attack on him by a yet to be identified member of his party.
The incident was said to have occurred prior to the commencement of the APC congress to elect an executive committee for the party at the ward level.
A source says the party leader was stabbed by the assailant while waiting for materials and party officials to arrive for the conduct of the congress, adding that there was already a harmonised list of executive members to douse tension before the unprovoked attack occured.
Meanwhile, in Aniocha South Local Government Area where Sunday Sun monitored the congress, the exercise was generally peaceful, although there were few wards where parallel congresses were held.
In ward 08 (Ejeme-Aniogor), where the party was able to harmonise, Mr Stanley Ogbechie emerged as party chairman. There was also consensus at ward 06 (Ubulu-Uno), where Mr Alex Onwusai emerged as party chairman.
However, the party failed to reach consensus at ward 10 (Adonte), where option A4 was adopted. Two candidates contested the chairmanship position with Pastor Nick Okonkwo defeating Mr Chucks Odume.
Reports of parallel congresses in some wards of the locality could not be ascertained as at the time of filing this report.
A member of the party who does not want to be quoted told our correspondent at Ejeme-Aniogor that most of the party leaders were able to reach a consensus, adding however that “since the harmonised list appear not to have favoured some bigwigs who are eying elective offices in the 2019 election, they decided to organise their own congresses in some wards in Aniocha South where they feel that they have some presence. Such parallel congresses were monitored by the APC congress committee.
The source further added:
“What I can also confirm is that such dissenting voices are very few. Majority of the governorship aspirants have collapsed their groups into the Emerhor/Enuha tendency, and they agreed on the harmonised lists that were used to elect ward party executives. They have also given their word to work with whomever emerges as governorship candidate and ensure victory for the party in next year’s election.”
However, a party stakeholder in ward 07 (Akumazi) in Ika North East Local Government Area of the state, rubbished the exercise, saying that there was nothing like a congress in his area.
He accused state party leader O’tega Emerhor of hijacking the entire process, saying that the governorship primary would be for the highest bidder.