From Ameachi Prosper (The New Diplomat’s Delta State Correspondent)
Ahead of next year’s local government council elections in Delta state and the 2023 general elections, prevailing peace has returned to the Delta State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), following the reconciliation of big-wigs from the State including the Deputy Senate President and South South leader of the party, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, Olorogun Otega Emerhor, Chief Great Ogboru, and Engr. Victor Ochei among other chieftains.
Delta State APC Chairman, Prophet Jones Erue, disclosed this at an enlarged stakeholders’ meeting in Asaba where the party faithful declared, “we have unity now to take over the state from the corrupt and decadent hands of PDP led by governor Ifeanyi Okowa.”
Erue also maintained that all factions hitherto known as tendencies that polarised the party along interest lines have been abolished with the reconciliation of party leaders.
The APC chairman told the grassroots leaders of the party to take the message of reconciliation to the various wards, and ensure that the membership strength of the party is increased by over 100% in the fast-approaching national revalidation exercise.
“Reconciliation is not a tea party, you must reach places of compromise, you must be ready to shift grounds. That is why we are very grateful to party leaders and officials who have made sacrifices in the interest of the party.
“At the moment, there are no more Ochei faction, O’tega faction, Ogboru faction or Omo-Agege faction, because the division then led the party to perform badly in the last general election in Delta State, so we are to avoid the infighting and disunity of members, and close ranks for the upcoming polls”, he advised.
The chairman pointed that state party officials who were suspended in the heat of the crisis, have all be recalled.
On the March 6, 2021 local government elections in the State, Erue said nomination forms for female councillorship and chairmanship aspirants would be free across the state.
Delta State Independent Electoral Commission (DSIEC) had last week rang the bell for political activities at the grassroots with the announcement of March 6, 2021 for the conduct of elections across the 500 wards of the 25 local government areas.
He expressed the party’s readiness to participate in the council polls, assuring that the party would give the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) a good run for its money.
Erue said the intention of making the forms free of charge for female aspirants was to encourage women to participate in the electoral process which he described as the breeding ground for budding politicians.
“As a party, we desirous of taking over power from the PDP, and we must be ready not only to participate in the council polls but also win in some local government areas,” he said.
