The All Progressive Congress, Delta State chapter, Nigeria has described as repulsive, the excessive celebration that greeted the homecoming of the former Governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori’s after severing jail term in United Kingdom for money laundering and corruption charges.
The party while disassociating itself from the recent thanksgiving service hosted by the former governor kinsmen and associate where some APC chieftains attended, the party noted its members that attended the event did so in their personal capacity as Ibori’s associate and friends and didn’t represent the party.
The party added that the impression being created in some quarters that Deltans are celebrating the return of Ibori is not correct, because majority of Deltans are not party to the celebrations.
In a press release signed by the party acting state Publicity Secretary, Engr. Leonard Obibi stated that on Ibori’s deportation from UK, his family and motley of his PDP political associates, friends and supporters were celebrating his return to his home town in Delta State.
The statement which read in part: “In the course of these events, it was observed that a few of our party members who are relatives, acquaintances or former associates of Chief Ibori also took the chance to join in paying him visits which were widely publicized. Inadvertently, the media tended to play up this perspective, and in the process contrived a false impression that our party, APC Delta, may have joined in celebrating the return of Chief Ibori.
“APC Delta therefore wishes to state emphatically and put it on record that unlike the PDP which invented, fertilized and has been perpetuating corruptive tendencies in Delta State, and which for whatever reasons chose to identify with a return of one of their own, APC Delta is not affiliated in any way with these celebrations. Chief Ibori has remained the principal leader and fulcrum of the PDP political organ in Delta State that represents everything that the opposition has been combating since the inception of the current democratic dispensation.
“We also wish to reaffirm that APC Delta is repulsed by the excessive spectacle of merriment that was put on display by the PDP and its allies because it does not communicate the concerned feelings or reactions of the larger Delta society. It is a flaw of opinion and an irony of the reality on ground for anybody to link or tag Deltans in general, many of whom have continued to suffer under the yoke of the PDP to this celebration. Also, APC Delta seizes this opportunity to caution its members and notify the larger public not to drag into or associate its name with the imprudent actions of few individuals.
“APC Delta metamorphosed from a myriad of progressive parties that have stood in opposition to the PDP since 1999, and have since its formation fought tooth and nail against the corrupted rule of the PDP in Delta State; and our party remains focused and committed to rescuing Delta State from the depravities of self-service and corruptive tendencies that drives the PDP political machinery,” the party added.
