***Accuse Okowa Of Gun Running, Call For Redeployment Of CP, DPOs, Others
In their bid to avoid and truncate the conduct of direct primaries in the Delta state All Progressives Congress (APC), as directed by the national leadership of the party led by Mr. Adams Oshiomhole, a faction of the state APC led by the party 2019 governorship aspirant, Mr. Great Ogboru and the Senator representing Delta central in the national Assembly, Mr. Ovie Omo-Agege, have raised false alarm of insecurity.
In a sponsored petition addressed to the Inspector General of Police, IGP and AIG zone 5 Benin city, by Ogboru/Omo-Agege under a group called, “APC Electoral Watch Group”, signed by one Itse Elijah Wilkie, of the Wilkie Law Firm, obtained by HardReporters, said that following alleged stock piling of guns and other dangerous weapons by governor Ifeanyi Okowa and the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), it was good to drop the idea of direct primaries in APC in the state.
The group called for the immediate deployment of Divisional Police Officers, (DPOs) and Area Commanders from core North with friendly disposition to President Buhari to take over the police divisions in the state and area commands, during the party primaries and the general elections.
According to the group, APC direct primaries will lead to commotion and bloodbath in the state, alleging that the state governor, has recruited and created armed youth groups in the state as the “militant wing of the PDP in Delta State”, adding that any attempt to go ahead with the direct primaries, so many people will lose their lives as a result of alleged planned attack by the governor’s ‘militant wing’.
In the main petition entitled “State Sponsored Thuggery, Harassment, Brutalization, and Threats of Assassination of Opponents of Delta State Government,”, the APC Electoral Watch Group, alleged that the “Plot is to instigate commotion in any public event where any of their targets is and exploit the confusion in killing their target.”
The group, accused governor Ifeanyi Okowa and the state government of stalking of arms ahead of the 2019 general elections to unleash terror on members of the APC in the state, stating emphatically that “There are already reports of mass acquisition of firearm by politicians and thugs to be used and deployed for the evil plot. Ubeji town in Warri South local government is a warehouse of arms for one senatorial aspirant under the platform of PDP. In Uvwie, the Effurun garage is the warehouse of arms of PDP for the upcoming elections.”
“The Cache of arms warehouse by agent of the state governor in various communities to be deployed for purpose of foisting PDP victory in the state. We have been informed that in a meeting held on 20th, August, 2018, by the governor of Delta state, PDP and their agents in APC, arrangements were concluded to import mercenaries of terrorism from other states to scuttle and ruin the primaries of the APC in Delta state in a direct primaries.
“We implore the IGP to take special interest in the activities of the Delta state police command, through the setting up of an interventionist outfit led by an officer of the same status as the CP or above the CP rank to superintend security matter during the primaries as well as the general elections. The special interventionist units should be made for the 25 local government areas and specially directed by the IGP to drive the primaries and the general elections.” the group asserted.
The group called on the Inspector General of Police, to overhaul the police leadership in the state as they have put their relationship with governor Okowa above their responsibility of providing security to all as well as to provide special police interventionist units to supervise the party primaries and the general election and also “provide security escort drawn from force headquarters for Chief Great Ogboru.”
The group, described the O’tega Emerhor/Cyril Ogodo faction of the APC as moles in the state APC who are allegedly working with the PDP state government to plan the disruption of any planned direct primaries to ensure that Ogboru do not emerge the APC governorship candidate talk less producing governorship candidate from the party that will give Okowa fight for his money in 2019.
HardReporters correspondent reliably gathered that Senator Ovie Omo-Agege who had in July 2018, conducted a direct primary for the Osun State APC governorship race, described the direct primary adopted by the party as a better way aimed at providing a level playing field for all aspirants, but in a twist he turned around to make sure such is not conducted in Delta state APC.
The Great Ogboru, Ovie Omo-Agege and Jones Erue faction of the APC in the state is said to be in a panic move to prevent the APC national party from conducting direct primary in the state which they have raised a bogus alarm alleging that it will lead to a breakdown of law and order resulting to killings and maiming by thugs allegedly working for governor Okowa and the PDP in the state.
The group which claimed and has being celebrating the recognition of the Jones Erue led executives in the state, had taken it for granted that with their control of the party structures, the nomination of Great Ogboru and Ovie Omo-Agege as governorship and senatorial candidates respectively was a foregone conclusion through indirect primaries, but suddenly it realized the evident threat posed by the recent adoption of direct primaries by the national leadership of the party to test their popularity or otherwise in the Delta APC.