Ben Dunno, Warri
The leadership crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress (APC), in Delta State, took a new twist, at the weekend, as party members of Ijaw extraction in the state unanimously recognised Olorogun Otega Emerhor as the authentic leader of the party in the state.
They also confirmed an illustrious son of Ijaw land who had been at the forefront of projecting the party since inception, Pastor Power Aginighan, as the leader of the party and mandated him to speak on their behalf in taking crucial decisions concerning the future of the party both at the state and national level.
Making this resolution in a communiqué issued at the end of an extra ordinary meeting of the Ijaw indigenous APC party members held during the weekend at DSC township, Orhuwhorun in Udu Local Government Area of the state, the group also pledged their allegiance to the Chief (Dr.) Cyril Ogodo-led state exco of the party.
The communiqué, which was signed by representatives of the various wards covering Ijaw areas of Bomadi, Burutu, Patani and parts of Warri North, Warri South and Warri South-West Local Government Areas of Delta State, vowed not to allow stranger elements hijack the party from those who had laboured to nurture the party from inception in the state.
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The group’s resolution read in part, “That the internal crisis rocking the Delta APC Family has become defined by two main groups, namely the Mainstream of the Delta APC led by Otega Emerhor/Hyacinth Enuha and the Labour party joiners group led by Great Ogboru/Ovie Omo-Agege.
“This was reflected in the parallel Congresses that were held from Ward to State Level in May, 2018, throwing up two parallel Executives at all levels, two state Executive Committees, the one led by Chief Dr Cyril Ogodo for the Otega Emerhor/Hyacinth Enuha group and the other by Prophet Jones Erue for the Great Ogboru/Ovie Omo Agege group.
“That the National Chairman of the APC, His Excellency, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, mni, at a meeting with our leaders on 31st July, 2018, directed that Prophet Jones Erue who was sworn in by him should be allowed to function as State Chairman with a provision to integrate/harmonise the Executives produced by the contending tendencies.
“That the Honourable Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu was directed to drive the Integration/Integration process. That while every well-meaning member of the Party in Delta State earnestly waits for the integration/harmonization process to be driven to its logical conclusion, the Great Ogboru/Ovie Omo Agege group in the Ijaw territory has decided to beat the gun by stage-managing a so-called “Joint Ijaw Leadership meetings.”
“That the much-orchestrated Joint Ijaw Leadership meeting which passed a vote of confidence on Prophet Jones Erue as State Chairman and named one new defectee, Chief George Timinimi as Delta State Ijaw APC Leader was an ingenious attempt by the Great Ogboru/Ovie Omo-Agege faction to hoodwink the unsuspecting public to believe a lie and act thereupon.
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“That the purported ‘Joint Ijaw Leadership meeting’ is an exercise in futility and the resultant resolutions are therefore null and void and of no effect whatsoever.
“That we have confidence in the capacity of the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress His Excellency, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole to keep his promise to amicably resolve the crisis rocking the Delta State APC”.
“That we endorse the second term bid of President Muhammadu Buhari in view of his landmark achievements in all facets of national development.
“That we reaffirm our confidence in Olorogun Otega Emerhor as the leader of the mainstream of the party that encompasses over 80 per cent of APC membership in Delta State.
“That we pass a vote of confidence on Chief Dr Cyril Abeye Ogodo as the our duly elected and sworn-in State Chairman.
“That we stand by the results of all the Congresses in which we participated from Ward to State Levels under the leadership of Olorogun Otega Emerhor,” the statement read.
“That Pastor Power Ziakede Aginighan remains the only and duly recognised Delta Ijaw APC State Leader”.