The Delta chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has disowned the submission of a purported reconciliation report by Chief Paulinus Akpeki, the Delta Central Senatorial District Chairman.
In a strongly worded letter addressed to the APC National Chairman, the party leadership in Delta State described the submission as unauthorised, inchoate, and procedurally flawed.
The controversial report titled: “Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, OON-Led Reconciliation Committee Report” was reportedly submitted on December 8, 2024, by Akpeki allegedly without approval from the State Working Committee (SWC), State Executive Committee (SEC), or other relevant caucuses of the party.
“Our attention has been drawn to the submission of the document by Chief Paulinus Akpeki,” the letter stated.
Signed by Surv. Peter Akarogbe, the State Secretary, and Chief Francis Obigbor, the Deputy State Chairman, the letter highlighted that the report had bypassed critical party procedures.
“The said report was submitted without authority from SWC, SEC, Caucus, and due regard to the process outlined in the report itself,” it read, adding that the report remains incomplete and has not been deliberated upon by the state’s relevant organs.
The Delta APC leaders referred to the “Way Forward and Report Implementation” section of the report, which explicitly outlines the necessary steps for its adoption. These include:
1. Signing of the report by the committee chairman, secretary, and members.
2. Presentation of the finalized report to the SWC for adoption.
3. Endorsement by key party leaders such as the State Chairman, State Secretary, current senators, and other stakeholders.
4. Submission to the APC National Chairman and the party’s leader, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, only after all prior processes are completed.
The leadership argued that these steps were deliberately ignored by Chief Akpeki. “Prior to the unauthorized and unwarranted submission…the report had not been deliberated upon by the relevant organs of the party at the state level,” the letter emphasized.
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Further discrediting the report’s legitimacy, the letter revealed that the document was initially submitted on November 29, 2024, to an improperly constituted body. “The Delta Central Senatorial District Chairman, who presided to receive the report, had no constitutional authority to so preside when the Deputy State Chairman was in attendance,” the letter stated.
Citing Articles 12:4 and 12:11 of the APC Constitution (2022, as amended), the leadership underscored that this procedural violation renders the report invalid.
The Delta APC described Akpeki’s actions as a clear case of overreach. “Assuming without conceding that the report was properly/duly presented, it is still a document going through the process of consideration before Chief Paulinus Akpeki jumped the gun and, without authority, proceeded to submit it to the National Chairman,” the letter said.
They further pointed out that key party officials required to sign the report, including the State Chairman and State Secretary, had neither signed nor endorsed the document.
In a bid to maintain party unity and uphold due process, the Delta APC leadership urged the National Chairman and other national officers to disregard the document. “We urge that no recognition whatsoever be given to the document, which is yet to be considered by SWC in a properly constituted meeting,” the letter read.
They insisted that the document does not reflect the collective opinion or resolve of APC members in Delta State.
The report, prepared under the chairmanship of Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, was originally intended to address internal party disputes and foster unity within the Delta APC. However, Akpeki’s unilateral actions have thrown the reconciliation process into disarray, with party leaders now questioning the integrity of the entire exercise.
The letter concluded with a call for adherence to party protocols. “It is imperative that we adhere strictly to party protocols to maintain the integrity of our processes,” the leaders stressed.