…….Slams Him With Vote Of No Confidence
The Delta North caucus of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Delta State chapter has insisted on producing the next governor of the state even as it accused the state party chairman, Mr. Jones Ode Erue of working against the party’s resolution for Anioma to produce the party’s 2019 governorship flag bearer in Delta State.
According to the Delta North APC caucus, the state caucus meeting was convened on Saturday, March 4, 2017, at the instance of the Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachiukwu, with notable chieftains of APC in the state in attendance with a resolution to zone the governorship position to Delta North senatorial district of the state.
In a statement signed by the chairman of Anioma Patriots in APC, Emmanuel Eboha and obtained by HardReporters correspondent, recalled that party chieftains that attended the meeting were as follows:
Olisaemeka Akamuli, statutory caucus member and member APC Board of Trustees, Adolo Okotie-Eboh, Great Ogboru, represented by Ossai Abeh, Victor Ochei and Hyacinth Enuha, represented by Dennis Nwanokwai, Alex Ideh, Frank Kokori, Emami Ayiri, Jones Ode Erue, the state chairman and other members of the State Working Committee.
According to Eboha, the state caucus meeting came prior to a peace party held in Abuja by the party National Chairman, John Odigie Oyegun, in which Pat Utomi, Great Ogboru and Hyacinth Enuha were physically present.
“The Dr. Kachiukwu parley was convened as a follow up peace and reconciliation meeting to distil the rapport of the Abuja peace accord. It is therefore regrettable that the State Chairman who was present in person at both meeting could deliberately set up machinations to undo the peace accord already cemented and seek to undermine the relations reached by the national and state leaderships of the party.
“It is no longer news that Prophet Jones Erue is working with certain cabal in Delta Central, with vested interest in the contesting the governorship position in 2019 and therefore scuttle the very bright chances of the APC taking over the reins of power in Delta State Government House in 2019”, Anioma Patriots warned.
The group alleged that Erue had been used as arrowhead by a cabal in Delta Central, to consistently marginalise and undermine the political interests of Delta North district in APC and has brazenly usurped official positions of Delta Northerners in the party, giving the impression that APC is an Urhobo ethnic political party.
“In several instances, he has given contracts to party leaders from Delta Central and ignored those from Delta North all in his attempts to shortchange and subvert the peace accord and working resolutions of the APC for Delta State, which was reached at the March 4, 2017 meeting. More facts of his anti-party activities with Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state would emerge in no time.” the statement said.
The Anioma Patriots in APC, therefore passed a vote of no confidence on the state chairman of the party, Jones Ode Erue and called on the national leadership of APC to deal decisive on the ugly development and save the party from another orgy of crisis by abiding on the existing governorship zoning arrangement in the state, which they said was agreed that Delta North should be allowed to complete its two term in the governorship position.
Meanwhile, an APC stalwart in the state, Emmanuel Nduka Ogwuda has called on Anioma people in APC to close ranks and begin to build consensus towards producing the next governor in 2019, as the incumbency persists in the district.
Ogwuda noted that Delta State stands on a tripod and the political understanding of zoning the governorship position “must remain sacrosanct and be respected by all political parties, pressure groups and lobby platforms”, and advised APC to work in the popular direction to produce a candidate from Anioma extraction.
“As far as committed members of the APC are concerned, the Governorship position zoned to Delta North, Anioma people, is non negotiable and our party the APC should work in this popular direction to deliver a candidate for the party from Anioma extraction.
“I am therefore vehemently opposed to the rumoured plot to zone the leadership of the Delta state chapter of APC to Delta North in the forthcoming congress, with plan to alter the governorship zoning arrangement in favour of another district. This ill conceived agenda will strangle the rapidly booming popularity of the APC in the state and eventually kill the party as a widely accepted alternative platform in Delta State”, he warned.
According to Ogwuda, the APC Delta North caucus is working assiduously with well meaning groups across the state “to produce a credible candidate that would break the PDP jinx in the state and deliver the diversely rich state from the yoke of bad and corrupt government since 1999, which the PDP exemplified”.