- Party expels Onochie, Ojougboh, Omo-Agege, in seven days
The festering crisis rocking the Delta State chapter of the All Progressives Congress after the March 18 Governorship and House of Assembly elections got messier on Monday with the alleged expulsion of the Deputy President of the Senate, Ovie Omo-Agege, from being a member of the party for alleged anti-party activities and other unnamed offences.
The Delta APC announced Omo-Agege’s expulsion in a letter dated March 31, 2023.
The alleged suspension came a few days after the Delta APC announced the expulsion of the Chairperson of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Lauretta Oniochie, over alleged anti-party activity.
Also, the APC had last week suspended a chieftain of the party in the state, Cairo Ojougboh, from its fold.
Omo-Agege, the governorship candidate of the APC in Delta State had lost to the Governor-elect, a candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, Sheriff Oborevwori.
Omo-Agege who scored 240,229 votes was 120,005 votes behind his contender and the returned Governor-elect of the PDP, Oborevwori who scored 360,234 votes.
In the expulsion letter signed by the Chairman, Ulebor Isaac, on behalf of the State Executive Committee of the Delta APC and Secretary, Inana Michael, and 23 others, unanimously resolved and adopted the expulsion of Omo-Agege as a member of the party by the executive committee of the Orogun ward and Ughelli North Local Government chapter.
The letter reads, “The State Executive Committee of All Progressives Congress in Delta State in a meeting held on the 31st March, 2023 at the State Secretariat, Asaba, after due deliberation of the Notice of Resolution of Expulsion of Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, as a member of the party by the executive committee of the Orogun ward and Ughelli North local government chapter dated 20th March, 2023.
“And in accordance with the provision of Article 21.2 (1) (II) (VII) 21.3 and 21.5(g) of the constitution 2022 (as amended) we unanimously resolved and adopted the expulsion of Senator Ovie Omo Agege as a member of the party.”
The letter further reads, “Consequently Senator Ovie Omo-Agege hereby stands expelled as a member of the party with immediate effect for various offences committed and acts of anti-party activities and gross misconduct that has brought shame and ridicule to the image of the party in the state which affected the party in the just concluded elections.”
The embattled Deputy Senate president was also accused by a chieftain of the party for not working hard in the state to garner votes for the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, rather for himself.
However, in a swift reaction, the Delta State APC Publicity Secretary, Imma Niboro, described the expulsion as fake, adding that there is no faction in the state’s APC.
“Fake. But you know this is not the executive committee of the State Chapter. No one knows who these people are. There are no factions in Delta APC.”
Also speaking, the State Chairman of the APC, Omeni Sobotie and Peter Akarogbe, State Secretary, while dismissing the purported expulsion of the party’s governorship candidate, in a statement on Monday evening, stated “We, the legitimate and only recognised State Executive Committee of the party, at the National Headquarters, in consultations with all other levels in the chain, hereby disclaim the publication as fraudulent, a ruse and of no consequence. Therefore it should be disregarded and ignored as the handiwork of mischief makers by all party faithful and the general public.
“The Executive Committee members of the APC at the wards, local governments, senatorial districts and state levels, were duly elected at the different congresses organised by the party. They remain legitimate and still hold their offices and positions in accordance with the APC Constitution.”
The statement further added that considering the development, the names of the executive committee members of the APC at the wards, local governments, senatorial districts and the state, were in the national secretariat of the party and the Independent National Electoral Commission, which duly monitored the congresses as required by law.
The statement maintained that “the signatories to the said publication are not only dubious impostors, but very reckless in their publication. In this regard, their claims could cause a breach of public peace and must not be permitted.
“The Nigeria Police Force, DSS and other security agencies are enjoined to take note of the wanton rascality and the unscrupulous intent to cause disharmony and a breach of public peace.”
It advised the general public, party faithful and stakeholders to disregard the said publication, and view it as the “worthless undertaking of men with crooked intentions.”
Aftermath of the March 18, governorship and state assembly elections, an indefinite suspension was slammed on the current Chairman of the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Lauretta Onochie, by her ward 04 executive committee in Aniocha North local government area of the State.
Onochie’s suspension was conveyed in a letter signed by 27 executive members of ward 4, Onicha-Olona in the Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State.
The letter was titled: “Loss of confidence and suspension of Lauretta Onochie as member of the APC in Onicha-Olona ward 4, Aniocha North Local Government Area.”
The ward said the decision followed a review of Onochie’s conduct during the just-concluded general elections.
The letter read in part, “We, the under-listed, are the ward executive members of the All Progressives Congress in Onicha-Olona ward 4 Aniocha LGA Delta State.
“We have painstakingly reviewed the conduct of the just-concluded general elections at all levels and have noted, with dismay that Onochie, who is one of the leaders of our great party, worked against the success of the party in Onicha-Olona Ward 4, and beyond.
“Information available to us shows very clearly that she was openly campaigning for candidates of opposition parties, especially the People’s Democratic Party, in the run-up to the presidential and National Assembly as well as the governorship and state House of Assembly elections.
“It was also observed that all her allies and supporters were working for the PDP in the state. The evidence of this could be seen in the fact that the party lost in her polling unit 8, ward 4 in the presidential, senatorial, House of Representatives, governorship and state Assembly elections.”
The ward also alleged that Onochie failed to fulfill her financial obligations to the party, adding that she never attended any ward and LG meetings or other party engagements.
But when contacted, the APC Chairman, Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State, Matthew Chinye, denied the suspension allegation.
He said, “There is nothing like suspension; the letter is rubbish; it is the handiwork of mischievous persons. Somebody is just being foolish for coming out with such a letter.
“We are looking into it and we will come out with our own position today (Monday). When we finish with our investigation, we make our position known.”
Similarly, a chieftain of the APC in Delta State, Cairo Ojougboh, has reiterated that the Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege and executive committee of the party in the state cannot expel him.
He described the state executive committee of the party as Omo-Agege’s boys.
Speaking in a statement, Ojougboh, through his Personal Assistant on media, Emmanuel Ojeme, said “I was not surprised to read in the social media that Omo-Agege and his boys posturing as Delta State APC executive committee, continued in their delusional belief that they have the power to expel Cairo Ojougboh from the APC.
“They continue to live in the fool’s Paradise where they rightly belong. These frustrated inexperienced, amateurish posturing party executives are already consigned to the bin of history.
Speaking further, he noted that “The teeming APC members in Delta State and the general public should ignore these infantile opportunists. And henceforth, we will not honour them with any other responses. In due course we shall know who owns the papa’s land.”
Ojougboh condemned Omo-Agege for using impostors to tell lies against him, adding that despite their antics, the party will be grappled from their hands.
“Dr. Cairo Ojougboh has no cousin known as Festus Ofume. It is in Omo Agege’s character to present impostors to tell lies.
“The struggle to wrestle the Party out of the leprous fingers of Omo Agege has just started. And this struggle is like a work in the park for Dr. Cairo Ojougboh,” Ojeme stated.