The Chief O’tega Emerhor-led faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta State has bowed to an avalanche of pressures by withdrawing the case filed against the Prophet Jones Erue-led faction of the party which produced the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege and others.
The cheering news was made known on Monday in a statement titled “Even A Good Fight Must Come To An End”, where the APC leader posited that the decision was based on the need to engender peace, reconciliation and strength for the party after the 2019 general elections in the state.
It will be recalled that APC Delta State had been enmeshed in the self-implosion sequel to the replacement of the Chief Cyril Ogodo-led State Executive Committee (SEC) inaugurated by the former national chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun by the current national chairman of the party, Mr Adams Oshiomhole when he assumed office.
The crisis had lingered for months with the APC shredded into factional SECs, aspirants and candidates for the 2019 general elections.
Emerhor, the 2015 governorship candidate of the party in the state, stated that he had to bow to pressures from the presidency, family members of Omo-Agege, leaders and elders of Urhobo extraction including the clergy to withdraw the appeal at the supreme court.
“Upon the election of Senator Ovie Omo-Agege as the DSP, and with the reach out from the various interested persons mentioned above, your leadership has indeed agreed, in its usual reconciliatory manner, to seize the opportunity to again push for a party reconciliation and unification deal that can produce a win-win situation for Delta APC and properly position it.
“Our earlier terms for Party Exco harmonisation and sharing of Federal appointments to all groups in Delta APC were once again put on the table as the panacea for bringing lasting peace to APC Delta State.
“Unfortunately, even with the best efforts of those who intervened to seize this moment as a last-minute effort to bring peace to reign, again no traction was achieved.
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“At the same time, our case in the Supreme Court suffered a setback. As against securing an accelerate hearing consequent on it being a pre-election matter, the suit is currently adjourned to October 14, 2019.
“It has been in our contemplation for the case to come to a closure in July 2019 and allow peace and unification come to Delta APC at last.
“Under the above circumstances and in full recognition of the pressures that have been brought to bear and also in appreciation of the legal arguments as to whether we could still achieve the objectives of the suit when it comes up in October or not, your leadership has decided and indeed unconditionally agreed to withdraw our appeal from the Supreme Court by filing a notice of discontinuance today Monday July 15th, 2019.
“Your leadership believes this is for the best. We have fought a good fight and even good fights must come to an end!
“We don’t need to fight on till October and beyond! We don’t need to force others to the table anymore and or forever.
“I, therefore, on behalf of the mainstream of APC in Delta proclaim an end on our part in the factional fight for the control of APC in Delta State.
“We also seize the opportunity to recognise Senator Ovie Omo-Agege as our Senator and congratulate him for his election as DSP of the Nigerian Senate.
“We in the same breath, recognise and congratulate other elected legislators of APC in Delta State.
“We do this with zero expectations from those who are now the ‘victors’. We will, however, be wildly surprised if they seize the moment and strive for the unification of the party in the interest of a stronger Delta APC.
“I also wish to seize the opportunity to thank all members of the mainstream of Delta APC, and the Ogodo-led Exco in Delta State for your unalloyed loyalty, support and resilience in the face of daunting challenges throughout the period of our contending for a winning APC in Delta State.
“As I said earlier, even a good fight must end one way or the other. I thank you all,” Emerhor submitted.
and then