From PAUL OSUYI, Asaba

Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachukwu and Senator Ovie Omo-Agege representing Delta Central were among the 30 persons who were inaugurated as members of Delta State caucus of All Progressives Congress (APC).

Former Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Victor Ochei, and the governorship candidate of Labour Party in 2015, Great Ogboru also made the list amid speculations that both political heavyweights were on their way out of the party.

Ochei who held sway as Speaker on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the last dispensation, and Ogboru joined the ruling party at the centre after the 2015 general elections. They are both perceived as leading contenders for the party’s governorship ticket in 2019.

But there were reported disenchantment from their camps as speculations became rife that the national leadership may be favourable to the governorship ambition of a founding party member and famous economist, Prof. Pat Utomi.

This development might have led to building rumours that both Ochei and Ogboru would soon leave the party to pursue their ambitions elsewhere.

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Although, both politicians were absent on Friday in Asaba during the inauguration of the caucus, their membership, according to the National Vice Chairman (South-South), Hilliard Eta has consolidated the peace and unity of Delta State APC.

Mr. Eta who inaugurated the caucus alongside other committees said Delta State governorship election was for APC to win in 2019, and urged all stakeholders do everything possible to avoid defeat.

“Delta State is a low hanging fruit for APC, it is for us to pluck but let us not make the mistake of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. I can see that peace has returned to the party. We must do everything possible to sustain this peace,” he advised.

A member of the caucus, Chief Hyacinth Enuha who is also the chairman of Delta APC Elders’ Council told newsmen that the party is now poised to defeat PDP in 2019.

Enuha stated that the PDP-led state government has only succeeded in bringing untold hardship to Deltans since 1999, adding that the time has come to have a government with a human face which, he insisted, his party represents.