APC Crisis deepens as political giants at each other’s throat in Delta 

The Ogboru/Omo-Agege faction of Delta All Progressives Congress (APC) have stated that with the judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which upheld the authentic results of the 5th and 12th May,  2018 Ward and Local Government Congresses in Delta State, the new national leadership of the party has rightly and totally endorsed the Delta APC current leadership structure under Prophet Jones Ode Erue.

In a statement signed by Chief Great Ogboru, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, Dr. Iyke Odikpo, Chief Charles Uwaechie, Dr. Alex Ideh and Hon. George Timinimi stated that the Court also affirmed that only the valid delegates who emerged from the congresses conducted by Alhaji Dododo could produce a State Executive as was done on 19th May, 2018 when Prophet Jones Ode Erue and his entire State Executives were duly elected.

The leaders expressed appreciation to the National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and his co-executives for the courage to do what is right and keep the Delta APC together under the tenets of justice, respect for due process and zero tolerance for impunity.

The statement reads, “We also salute His Lordship Hon. Justice Chikere for the patience to respect the parties’ choice to settle the matter amicably. And, we congratulate all 270 Ward, 25 LGA executives and the State executives elected on 19th May 2018 and led by Prophet Jones Ode Erue.

Meanwhile, the Delta APC faction led by Chief Cyril Ogodo has said that they are not bound by the consent judgement procured by Ogboru/Agege faction of the party, because they were not party to the case.

Ogodo while reacting to the consent judgement entered into by the newly elected party’s National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, in a suit filed by Odjebobo Onoyefeme and Lyndon Ugbome against the APC National Chairman and the APC National Working Committee with Suit No.: FHC/ABJ/CS/509/8 on behalf of Senator Ovie Omo-Agege and Chief Great Ogboru led group of APC, said; “We find this action of the new Chairman totally inexplicable.”

The Delta APC chairman’s position is contained in a press statement issued and signed by the Delta State APC Publicity Secretary, Mr Moses Kamanya that read in parts: “We are not bound by consent judgment obtained by Agege/Ogboru group without our consent.

“It has come to our notice that on June 28, 2018 a consent judgement in respect of a suit filed by Odjebobo Desire Onoyefeme and Lyndon L.O.I Ugbome against the APC National Chairman and the APC National Working Committee with Suit No.: FHC/ABJ/CS/509/8 was secured by the Senator Ovie Omo-Agege and Chief Great Ogboru led group of APC members in Delta State.

The purport of the consent judgment is to accord legitimacy to the Wards and LGA Executives elected at the parallel congresses conducted by the Agege/Ogboru group which were earlier adjudged illegal by the Chief John Oyegun led National working committee who actually conducted, supervised and approved the outcome of the recently conducted congresses of the APC nationwide.

“The attempt to procure this consent judgment came to our notice and that of the APC NWC on June 12, 2018. The then NWC found that officers of the Legal Department in APC without its knowledge, directive, consent and approval acted in connivance with its appointed legal counsel to draw up terms of settlement proposed by the Plaintiffs that were acting on behalf of the Agege/Ogboru group.

The NWC immediately debriefed the counsel and appointed a new one Messrs Chief J. K. Gadzama SAN, in his place, with the instruction to terminate the process of consent judgment and purported terms of settlement as they were not authorised nor emanated from the NWC.

“The NWC had earlier approved all congresses conducted according to its guidelines and had inaugurated congresses won by the Chief Cyril Abeye Ogodo led Executives in Delta State and had rejected the executives that emerged from the Agege/Ogboru conducted parallel congresses.

On June 22, 2018 the then National Chairman personally attended court to disown the so-called terms of settlement that purportedly emanated from him and the NWC.

“It has, however, come to our knowledge that among the very first act taken by the new National Chairman of the party Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, was to withdraw the Messrs Chief J. K. Gadzama who had the brief of the erstwhile NWC to terminate the purported consent judgment process and appoint a new counsel Messrs Adeniyi Michael Akintola, SAN presumably with instruction to pursue and secure the erstwhile unauthorised consent judgment in order to award through court the Wards and LGAs Executives to the Agege/Ogboru group. We find this action of the new Chairman totally inexplicable.

“We the Chief Cyril Ogodo led Executives in Delta State that were duly elected and inaugurated by the erstwhile NWC were never party to the above suit and by law are not bound by the outcome of the said consent judgment nor can our positions be taken away or de-legitimised by a court consent judgment entered into by two parties without our knowledge, directive, consent or approval.

Nonetheless, we have written a Protest Letter to the National Chairman and copied to all current NWC members pointing out this aberration and requesting them to step away from entrenching a party faction in Delta State.

“We are also taking all legal actions to vacate the consent judgment on the basis of it being procured through fraud and misrepresentation as the erstwhile NWC that conducted the referenced congresses never consented or approved any such terms of settlement.

“The State Chairman and State Working Committee in Delta State hereby call on all party members to stay calm, steadfast and to go about their party businesses without let or hindrance. The party executives will continue to function and carry on the business of APC in Delta State.

“We assure all party faithful that this distortion will not last. It will be dislodged in the shortest possible time and our mission to rescue Delta State from the stronghold of the PDP remains unshaken.” The statement added.

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