Delta APC: Ogboru/Omo-Agege faction inaugurates exco in Asaba

IN another alleged defiance to the approval of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Chief Great Ogboru/Senator Ovie Omo-Agege/Prophet Jones Erue faction in Delta State has inaugurated its own elected state executive.

Tribune Online recalled that Prophet Jones Erue, who was the outgoing APC chairman of the state, allegedly emerged as chairman of the Ogboru/Omo-Agege faction during a parallel state congress held recently in Asaba.

The parallel state congress held in spite of the fact that the party’s leadership in Abuja had earlier postponed the state congress.

But in what has been described as a continuation of reign of impunity, the now Prophet Erue-led faction was, on Tuesday in Asaba, said to have inaugurated its parallel executive members at the state party secretariat in Asaba when APC national was celebrating its three years in power.

TribuneOnline also recalls that the APC National Publicity Secretary, Malam Bolaji Abdullahi, had announced that the party leadership would only recognize state congresses conducted by party’s approved convention committees.

But in a move adjudged as preempting the decision of the party’s NWC, the Ogboru/Omo-Agege group allegedly hurriedly convoked in Asaba to inaugurate its parallel executive, while the party leadership was observing Democracy Day.

The Delta State APC Publicity Secretary-elect of the faction, Mr Moses Kamanya, supported by the state party leader, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, had reacted to the development.

He described the purported inauguration of the parallel executive as the height of impunity and desperation on the part of Ogboru and Omo-Agege camp to wriggle out of its drowning state.

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“Senator Ovie Omo-Agege and Chief Great Ogboru, in total disregard to the party’s guidelines and regulations, have moved again, as usual, to inaugurate their Kangaroo state executive all in the bid of actualizing the objectives of their paymasters, knowing full well that all approved state executives nationwide are billed to be inaugurated by the NWC as soon as the outcome of various congresses are validated by the NEC.

“This constant disrespect of party procedures and guidelines by persons, who just joined the party, continues to confirm their true intent to destroy APC in Delta State.

“How do we explain a situation where this set of individuals are moving to inaugurate a make-believe state exco when all progressive Deltans are lamenting at the decaying state of our infrastructure in the past 19 years of PDP misrule?

“And the party leaders are encouraging members to remain steadfast for effective takeover of the state by the APC come 2019; another exercise in futility? he enthused.

Meanwhile, factional chairman of the Ogboru-Omo-Agege faction, Prophet Jones Erue, while on phone to Tribune Online on Wednesday in Warri, averred that what the faction actually had in Asaba on Tuesday was not an inauguration, but a swearing-in.

“What we had was a swearing-in. We did not inaugurate. When the national wants to inaugurate, they don’t call everybody, but only the chairmen.

“What we did was not against any directive. It was a swearing-in or if you like, call it any name.

“It was in tandem with the party’s constitution. It’s nothing strange. It’s not breaking any directive. Lagos, Rivers, Akwa-Ibom did their own, too,” he stated.