Delta APC elects factional leaders

From Osakhare Erese, Asaba

Former deputy chairman of Delta State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Cyril Ogodor on Monday emerged as the state chairman of the party at a congress held at the play ground of the temporary site of the Federal College of Education (Technical), Asaba, the state capital.
Ogodor polled 731 votes to defeat Mr. Fred Obe who polled 99 votes in the delegates’ election. Other positions were returned unopposed through voice affirmation.
The congress was conducted by a five-member committee from the national secretariat of the party. Members of the committee include Eugene Odoh (chairman), John Dabwan (secretary), Jonathan Jibril, Ibrahim Nagogo and Mezia Linus (members).
Meanwhile, the incumbent state chairman, Jones Erue retained his seat at a parallel congress conducted on Saturday by the Gbenga Obadara-led committee at St. Mulumba College, Okpanam, near the state capital.
The Senator Ovie Omo-Agege led faction of the party is associated with the congress of Saturday while the O’tega Emerhor faction is associated with Monday’s congress.
But in his acceptance speech, the new chairman, Mr. Ogodor extended olive branch to his contestant as well as those of the Omo-Agege faction, saying that now was the time to unite the party ahead of the 2019 general election.
Leader of the party in the state, O’tega Emerhor who addressed newsmen at Monday’s exercise described it as the authentic congress, saying that the presence of party chieftains testified to it.
“I am here, Victor Ochei, Cairo Ojougboh, Hyacinth Enuha, Pat Utomi is on his way, Dr. Leroy, we are here. The minister, Dr. Ibe Kachukwu would have be but he travelled.
“We cannot afford the bickering and division among ourselves. After today’s congress, we will reach out to others who feel aggrieved because we have the People Democratic Party (PDP) as a common enemy in the 2019 general election to contend with.
“But one thing is that anything outside this exercise is null and void. You can see the democratic process as conducted by the assigned committee from Abuja and witnessed by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC),” Emerhor said.