- APC Chieftain, Ajobena Recommends Suspension For Members
- Emerhor Dissociates Self From Activities, Decision of ‘Leaders Council’
A splinter group named ‘Delta State APC Leaders Council’ which purportedly held a meeting and came up with some resolutions concerning the forthcoming APC Congress in the State, has been declared illegal and unconstitutional by the Delta State Chairman of the APC Caretaker Committee, Prophet Jones Ode Erue.
It would be recalled that the factional group purportedly held a virtual meeting recently in which some APC members including Chief Great Ogboru, Cairo Ojougboh, Dr. Mrs. Mariam Alli, AVM Okorodudu (rtd), Dr. Alex Ideh, amongst others participated.
However, responding to the action of the group, the Delta State Chair of the APC, Erue distanced the party and the State Executive Committee from the so-called Leaders Council and its purported meeting, saying that there is no such body known to law under the Constitution of the party just as he said that at no time was such a body inaugurated by the National leadership of the party.
In a statement signed by Nick Ovuakporie, Director, Publicity APC Delta State, the State chairman declared the body illegal and unconstitutional, adding that the national leadership of the party has neither recognized nor inaugurated any of such body in Delta State.
He called on all peace-loving and law-abiding members of the party in the state to remain steadfast and committed, assuring that the Congress Committee due to be set up will consist of men and women of integrity that will ensure a free and fair congress.
He said: “For the avoidance of doubt and for the purpose of clarity, the Delta State APC Caretaker Committee under the leadership of Prophet Jones Ode Erue, hereby categorically states that there is no such body known to law under the Constitution of our great Party APC, neither has the national leadership of the Party inaugurated any such body with respect to the affairs of the Party in Delta State.”
“The Delta State Caretaker Committee under the leadership of the State Chairman, Prophet Jones Ode Erue, hereby condemns in its entirety, the action of this moribund group for its anti-party activities in the formation of a parallel organ of the Party. The party will not condone such shenanigans from anyone, no matter how highly placed such individuals may be.
“The Party wishes to state categorically that the formation of the membership of the congress committees in the various state chapters of the Party across the nation is the sole responsibility of the national leadership of the Party and not that of any kangaroo council made up of IDPs (internally-desperate politicians who are APC in the day and PDP in the night) whose only stock in trade is the fractionalization and destabilization of the Party structures in Delta State.
“The Party, therefore, calls on all its law-abiding and peace-loving members to remain steadfast and be rest assured that the membership of the congress committee that will be set up with respect to Delta State by the national leadership shall be devoid of any interference/nomination from this amorphous group or any other group and will consist of men and women of proven integrity that will conduct free and fair congresses in Delta State. The party promises that the forthcoming congresses shall reflect the will of the members of the Party that is geared towards the rescue mission of Delta State from the cleavages of the PDP misrule of many years,” the statement declared.
The New Diplomat investigation reveals that Olorogun O’tega Emerhor who was reported to have participated in the virtual meeting held by the group, later distanced and dissociated himself and his caucus from its decisions, adding that he cannot associate with any faction in the party.
Emerhor who cited unabated disunity in the party as his reason for pulling out, added that he and his followers have decided to stay away from associating with any faction in the party until the national leadership intervene to restore peace and unity to the party.
Also reacting to the activities of the group, the APC Vice chairman, Delta Central Caretaker Committee, Olorogun Barr. Adelabu Bodjor re-echoed the state party’s position that the group is not known to law and the constitution of the party, adding that their illegitimate meeting and resolutions signify a death knell to the group.
Bodjor stated that the national leadership of the party will always deal with the State Exco through the State chairman, pointing out that there is only one State chairman of the APC in Delta State, Prophet Jones Ode Erue, who is known to law and recognized by the national leadership of the party. He noted that the best way to deal with the ‘splinter’ group is to refuse them and their activities, recognition.
“They (APC Leadership Council) are not known to law. National will always deal with State Exco through the State chairman and we have only one State chairman of APC, Delta State known to law and recognized by the national. He is Prophet Jones Ode Erue.
“So, it is a death knell for them as at this hour. The end is near for the group. The end of all these misbehaviors will soon come to end.
“Is that APC Leaders Council known to law? Is it in the party’s constitution? The answer is No. There are several ways the Delta State APC problem can be dealt with. One of the ways is refusal to recognize any of their activities. And that will be the end of Captain Marvel.
“If the national refuses to recognize any of their activities and the national now instructs the State Exco on what to do, that would be the end of the group”, Bodjor said.
In his own reaction, a National Caucus member of the party, AVM Frank Ajobena, declared that the APC Leadership Council is illegal and unconstitutional, saying that the members must be disciplined and sanctioned for their act which, according to him, constitutes anti-party.
Ajobena who spoke on phone, stated that the issue of the leadership of the party in Delta State has been settled long time ago, adding that the leader of APC in the State is no other person than the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege.
The former Military Governor of Abia State, noted that most of all the people laying claim to be leaders in the “illegal” group are not even qualified according to the definition of the Constitution.
He insisted that membership of the caucuses at the national and state level constitute the leadership of the party, adding that most of those who referred to themselves as members of APC Leaders Council were not only mischievous but are disrespectful to the party and the Constitution of the party.
He said: “Well, that group, the so-called APC Leaders Council, I don’t know how they came up with such decision calling themselves APC leaders. The party has a Constitution which spelt out clearly who should be leaders in the party. When you talk about leaders in the party, with all modesty, many of them calling themselves leaders are not qualified.
“This matter came up when we held the Strategy and Peace Committee meeting in Abuja which was chaired by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ahmed Idris Wase. And they were told that this group should not parade themselves as leaders of the party in Delta State. They are just mischief makers. They just want to create confusion in the party. You don’t just wake up one morning and start to compile names of people whom you call leaders of the party and you take some useless decisions on what should happen in the party.
“I’ve read the statement of the State Chairman of the party, Prophet Jones Erue and that is the direction of the party. And that is the way we should go.
“What the group has done is anti-party and I think the earlier we take a stern position on the issue the better. If they want to form their own party, then they should go and do that.
“This was what happened in 2018/2019. We went into election with parallel congress and parallel primaries and we lost. It is the same thing they are trying to play back now.
“As for the action to be taken, if you ask me, I would tell you that there is a very thin line between a mob and an army. And the thin line is leadership. The mob does not have leadership but the army has leadership and they have a code of conduct guiding their actions. It is either you are in or you are out. I think we should come out clearly now. All those whose actions are not in tandem with the Constitution of the party should be disciplined. They should be sanctioned and suspended from the party and let’s move on. Nobody is indispensable in the party. I think we should come hard on them.
“This issue of leadership has been explained to all members very clearly. As at today, the Deputy President of Senate, in order of protocol, is the number 5th in the country. So, I don’t understand why somebody should be contesting the leadership of the party in the State with the Deputy President of the Senate. These people cannot claim leadership”, he said.
