The interim leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) met on Thursday with stakeholders of the party from Delta state.
The agenda of the meeting was how to fashion out acceptable modalities for the ongoing membership registration and revalidation exercise across the country which has been suspended in the oil-rich state.
The state APC Publicity Secretary, Mr Sylvester Imonina, announced the suspension in a statement on Thursday in Asaba.
Chieftains of the party from Delta state in attendance were former governorship candidate, Great Ogboru, O’tega Emerhor, Minister of State, Labour, Festus Keyamo, Chairman of the Party in Delta State, Jones Erue, amongst others.
Checks revealed that prior to the revalidation exercise, the State chapter has been polarised into factions.
While the Cyril Ogodo faction has the backing of Great Ogboru, the Jones Erue faction enjoyed the support of Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo Agege.
Last March, the Federal High Court, Asaba Division pronounced the Erue faction as the authentic executive in Delta State.
Speaking with newsmen shortly after the peace meeting which lasted for hours, Niger state governor who incidentally is the Chairman of the national revalidation exercise, Abubakar Sani Bello, described the meeting as fruitful.
He said all stakeholders agreed to give peace a chance in the interest of the party.
He said: “Well, I think we had a wonderful meeting, it is not unusual in a political process to have differences in opinions and Delta State is a very important state for us in the south-south and we have been able to agree on a workable method to move the party forward.
“So, I hope that going forward we won’t have to come here, they should be able to resolve their issues back home so I believe APC in Delta State is now intact and I also believe APC in Delta state will grow bigger so I would like to appreciate and thank stakeholders from Delta state for their contributions in this meeting we had a very fruitful meeting and by God’s grace, I think the issues have been resolved once and for all.”
Governor Bello, however, evaded a question on the leader of the party in Delta State.
“We did not go to the issue of leadership of the party in the state, everyone is a leader in his own right.
Leadership position when you say, leader, everyone is a leader but what is important is that we rally around one aggrieved person who is the party chairman as the central point to achieve our objective.”
Also speaking with journalists, Honourable Keyamo said he was convinced that the intervention of the National Secretariat and the Niger state governor would ensure a smooth exercise, devoid of rancour.
“All we are fighting for is equity, justice for all not advantage to anybody not even me as Minister and that is why we came here in the first place. It was my complaint that ignited this process and then we are all brothers, we are all united.
We all spoke about our problems and the national chairman of the revalidation committee in the country the governor of Niger State has just addressed you and then he has just told you that we have looked at the problems.
“We have reviewed the process for Delta State going forward and I think everybody will be happy with it.”
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