APC disowns Delta leadership council

National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has disowned the purported inauguration of a “Leadership Council” in Delta State, firmly stating that no such body has the party’s approval.

Felix Morka, the APC’s National Publicity Secretary, issued a statement on Tuesday clarifying that the council is not a recognised structure within the party’s constitution.

“The NWC did not grant approval for the inauguration or operation of the ‘Leadership Council’ in the Delta State Chapter of our Party,” Morka stated. “The said council is not a body created or recognised under the Party’s Constitution.”

His statement came in response to an earlier press release by Valentine Onojeghuo, the State Publicity Secretary of APC Delta, which claimed that the national leadership had approved the council, co-chaired by Chief Festus Keyamo SAN, and former Deputy President of the Senate, Ovie Omo-Agege.

Onojeghuo had announced March 8, 2025, as the scheduled date for the council’s inauguration, a move that Morka’s statement effectively nullified.

Adding to the controversy, several top APC leaders in Delta, including Omo-Agege and Senator Peter Nwaoboshi, have publicly distanced themselves from the initiative, denouncing it as unconstitutional.

“We categorically and unequivocally deny any involvement, association, or knowledge of this council,” they declared in a joint statement. “This is a blatant and egregious attempt to falsely affiliate us with an illegitimate and unconstitutional entity.”

Numbering 19 in all who co-signed the statement, they accused the organisers of attempting to usurp the rights of registered party members by proposing that the council should nominate party executives and candidates.

“This proposal contradicts our party’s constitution, which grants the power to elect party executives and nominate candidates solely to registered members,” they stated.

The leaders further expressed outrage at the unauthorised use of their names in documents related to the council.

“We strongly object to our names being included without our knowledge, consent, or participation,” they said. “This is a clear violation of our rights and an attempt to drag us into an illegal venture.”

Emphasising their loyalty to APC’s constitutional structure, they reaffirmed their commitment to the party while rejecting the council.

“We recognise and support all the organs established by the APC Constitution. These legitimate bodies govern the affairs of our party in Delta State,” they stated.

The signatories insisted that while individuals have the right to form interest groups, they cannot impose them as official party structures or misrepresent them as sanctioned bodies.

“We demand that our names be immediately and unconditionally excluded from any documents related to this council,” they declared.

Finally, they urged all APC members in Delta State to reject the initiative and uphold the party’s constitutional framework.

“We must stand together to protect our party’s democratic foundations and uphold the rule of law,” they concluded.