…As Omo-Agege/Ogboru Vs Emerhor Loyalists Battle For Soul Of Delta APC
By John Oghojafor
Attempts by Chief Great Ogboru, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege and Prophet Jones Erue’s faction of the All Progressive Congress, Delta State, to deny the party state leader, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor and the newly state Executive led by Chief Cyril Ogodo, access to the party’s National Convention at Abuja was resisted, leading to fierce battle leaving many injured.
The supremacy battle between the Emerhor’s tendency which has Chief Hyacinth Enuha, Hon. Victor Ochei, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh and three other governorship aspirants and Ogboru and Omo-Agege’s faction took a worrisome dimension at the APC National Convention as delegates and supporters of the two group engaged each other in a dirty fight.
A source told The New Diplomat that trouble started Saturday morning when the Emerhor group discovered that, against the directive of the party’s NWC that only delegate list signed by the out-gone National Chairman, Chief John Odigie Oyegun and Secretary should be used as delegates, Omo-Agege group allegedly changed the approved Delta delegate list.
It was further alleged that Senator Omo-Agege explored his position as the secretary, accreditation sub-committee, to change the approved delegates list and replaced it with some members of his own faction. He was also alleged to have hijacked printed delegate tags for
Delta and replaced it with the once he allegedly printed for his people.
Attempt by some of Emerhor supporters to checkmate the Omo-Agege faction from denying them access to the accreditation centre which was billed to take place at AGIES, led to a clash between them and some thugs loyal to Omo-Agege faction who were aided by the security agencies to prevent the Emerhor’s faction from gaining access to the venue.
According to our source who simply gave his name a Mr. Efe Akpososo, a delegate said; “we got the wind that Omo-Agege has hijacked the tags and handed it over to Stella Okotete. We mobilized from Savannah where we were for accreditation to AGIES, but to our surprise policemen at the gate refused our entry.
“While we were being held back, Omo-Agege and his group were busy inside sharing the tags to their members and when our people protested, policemen started firing teargas at us, even into
the buses that conveyed our people to the place.
“Not to be suffocated, our delegates started running for their lives, when suddenly some young men suspected to be Fulani militia unleashed attacked on the delegates, leaving many sustaining
matchete cuts, while about three with severe injuries were rushed to Gariki hospital.”
In the course of the attack and the commotion it generated, Omo-Agege and his group rushed to Eagle Square, venue for the convention and got his people to take over seats meant for Delta
delegates.
Our source added that the Emerhor group however, got tags to clear their people inside, and when they demanded for them to relinquish their seats, they refused and this led to free for all fight.
The New Diplomat further gathered that Chief Great Ogboru, AVM Ajobena, Omo-Agege, Emerhor, Ochei, Kokori, Dr. Ibe Kachukwu and others — all have to take cover as the clash between their supporters raged on.
As at the time of filing this report, none of the leaders were willing to speak to press when contacted.
