The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Delta APC crisis

  • Court upholds Omo-Agege’s election

    The Federal High Court in Warri, Delta State has upheld the candidacy of Senator Ovie Omo-Agege and the other candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who emerged through the primaries supervised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and conducted by the party’s National Working Committee (NWC).

    Justice Emeka Ewite struck out the suit by Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, challenging the validity of the shadow poll that produced Omo-Agege for incompetency and lacking in merit.

    According to him, Omo-Agege and Rev. Francis Waive, winners of the Delta Central Senatorial District and Ughelli/Udu Federal Constituencies elections, were necessary parties, who ought to have been joined to the suit.

    Justice Ewite noted that Emerhor failed to deny the counter-affidavit filed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that it did not monitor the primary election that purportedly produced him.

    He said: “Failure to deny the counter-affidavit is an admission which requires no further proof that INEC only monitored the primaries which produced Omo-Agege. INEC is to supervise or monitor primary elections and not conduct.”

    APC’s lawyer Lucky Ajokperiniovo described the verdict as a landmark for the party and candidates who emerged legitimately through the primaries.

    He said: “It is a landmark judgment, the court has again reaffirmed the position of the Supreme Court to say that persons who are not joined as parties to a suit are not bound by the judgment given by that court. The court struck out the suit filed by Emerhor for being incompetent and lacking in merit. The court says Omo-Agege’s election remains the valid and legitimate primary conducted by the party’s National Working Committee.

    “The consent judgment is a judgment of court that is valid and binding on all persons until it is set aside. This judgment has given the party huge relief in determining who is the senatorial candidate in the Delta Central Senatorial election.”

    INEC’s lawyer Robert Emukpoeruo said the commission was neutral and impartial.

    “It is the statutory duty of INEC to monitor primary elections and report those who won and their scores. The report by INEC shows that Omo-Agege won the primaries conducted by the NWC,” he said.

    Emerhor’s lawyer Mr. G.C Igbokwe said: “We are happy with the judgment.”

  • ‘Omo-Agege not affected by sack judgment’

    The Asaba Federal High Court judgment, which sacked the Delta State All Progressives Congress (APC) executive committee does not affect Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, his spokesman, Nath Dortie, has said.

    The court had sacked the Prophet Jones Ode Erue-led executives, which conducted the primaries that gave Omo-Agege the ticket to contest this year’s senatorial election.

    Justice Toyin Adegoke, in the March 19 verdict, recognised the Cyril Ogodo-led executive committee instead.

    The Federal High Court in Abuja had last June 18 recognised the Erue-led executives.

    A statement by Dortie said since the Senator was not a party to the suit, he was not bound by Justice Adegoke’s verdict.

    The statement reads: “This judgment is in conflict with the valid, unchallenged and subsisting June 18, 2018, judgment of Justice Chikere of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

    The suit validated, recognised and gave legal life to the Prophet Jones-led executives, a judgment that the plaintiffs in the Asaba court has failed to set aside/appeal against.”

    Omo-Agege noted that the APC and Erue have appealed Justice Adegoke’s judgment, but insisted that the Federal High Court, whether in Abuja or Asaba, was the same and of coordinate jurisdiction nationally.

    He added: “The Asaba court has no appellate authority to override or set aside the valid, subsisting and final judgment of the Abuja court.

    “Without prejudice to the appeals already filed, it is our opinion that not being a party to the Asaba action, Delta State APC candidates in the 2019 elections, including Senator Ovie omo-Agege, is not and cannot be bound by pronouncements in the Asaba judgment.”

  • Delta APC crisis: Police seal state secretariat –Party chieftain urges warring parties to sheathe swords

    THE police in Delta State yesterday sealed the state secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asaba, as a fallout of the crisis rocking the party. Consequently,members of the Prophet Jones Erue led state executive committee of the party were denied entry into the building for the planned inauguration of the local government excos. The party has two factions with one led by Chief Cyril Ogodo and the other by Erue.

    The Ogodo –led exco was inaugurated by the the immediate past National Chairman of the Party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun on June 4 while the Erue faction was sworn in by the party’s new National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole on July 16. It was learnt the State Police Command mobilised its men to seal up the secretariat to forestall the breakdown of law and order. It was gathered that the police commissioner was scheduled to meet with the two warring factions yesterday. Arising from the factional tendencies in the state chapter of the party, a frontline political figure and former speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Victor Ochei, has urged the party faithful to sheathe their swords, eschew inflammatory utterances and remain calm as concerted efforts are in top gear to resolve the contentious issues.

    He made the call while reacting to a flurry of statements credited to some members of the APC in the state. According to him, the situation does not call for derogatory or uncomplimentary statements capable of heating up the polity, as “the National Working Committee under the able and wise leadership of His Excellency, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole possess the requisite capacity and expertise to effect an amicable resolution of the issue in ground.” He further maintained that his call for caution is premised on the fact that Comrade Oshiomhole is a stickler for justice and peace, backgrounded on his pedigrees as a timetested unionist and excellent administrator of human and material resources.

  • Delta APC crisis: Court validates Ogodo exco

    A Delta State High Court, sitting in the Kwale Judicial Division, has restrained the All Progressives Congress (APC) from recognising any other executive other than the one led by Cyril Ogodo.

    The court, presided over by Justice V.I. Ofesi, granted the restraining order in a suit, with number HCK/56/2018, filed by Mr. Emmanuel Kem Oki, the party’s Welfare Secretary and three others, who were Applicants, against the APC, its National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, its National Secretary, Mai mala Buni and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    After hearing from the counsel to the applicants, Chief F. I. Obigbor, the court ordered, “I have considered all the processes filed in support of this motion especially paragraphs 5 — 16 of the 1 8 paragraphs supporting affidavit- Exhibits A — E including the Counsel written address, I am of the view that in the interest of justice, this application be granted and it is hereby granted.

    “The Order of Interim Injunction is hereby granted restraining the 1st – 3rd defendants whether by themselves, their agents, servants, or howsoever called from recognizing and/or swearing in any other State Executive of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Delta State, apart from that chaired by Chief Cyril Abeye Ogodo and his members into office, pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice for interlocutory injunction pending before this Court.

    “Secondly, an order of interim injunction is made restraining the 4th (INEC) whether by itself, its agents, servants or howsoever called from recognizing and/or dealing with any other State Executive of the

    All Progressives Congress (APC), Delta State, apart from that chaired by Chief Cyril Abeye Ogodo and his members. pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice already filed in this case

    before this Court.”

    The judge also granted, “an order of interim injunction is hereby made restraining the defendants whether by themselves, their agents, servants or howsoever called from recognizing and/or swearing in any

    other Ward and Local Government Areas Executives of the All Progressive Congress (APC) held on the 5th and 12th day of May2018 under the chairmanship of Hon. Emmanuel Chinda and approved by the

    National Working Committee same having been sworn in and assumed duty. Defendants to show cause within 7 days hence why the Motion on Notice for interlocutory injunction should not be granted.”

    The case was adjoined to July 12.

     

  • ‘Oyegun should resolve Delta APC crisis’

    Some Delta State All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders have called on the party’s national leadership to resolve the crisis rocking the state chapter, if they want the party to win the 2019 governorship election.

    The leaders Chief Dafe Ogheneovo, Johnson Afejuku and Diokpa Joel Ugbaja gave the advice at a briefing in Warri.

    Specifically, they urged President Muhammadu Buhari to step into the matter or risk a repeat of the party’s 2015 poor performance in the state.

    They alleged that Chief Otega Emerhor was palnning to zone the governorship slot to Delta North, in violation of the party chairman’s, Prophet Jones Erhue’’s, statement to the contrary.

    The leaders recalled that the party’s state working committee, the highest decision making body, had through the party chairman, issued a statement declaring that the governorship position was open to  members in irrespective of tribe and senatorial district.

    They alleged that the call by Emerhor that the governorship ticket be zoned to Delta North was as a result of an alleged deal between him and Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, that after the latter’s second tenure in 2023, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would support Emerhor to win the primaries and the governorship of the party of his choice.They claimed that part of the plot was to lure Chief Great Ogboru to the APC, which he had executed, to deny Ogboru the opportunity of building his structures within his former party for the 2019 race. The call for Delta North to do one term through zoning is to exclude the zone from the race in 2023, they argued.

    They said the reasons some political leaders in APC and PDP were fighting Ogboru was because of his political value to the state, urging the party leadership to ensure justice was upheld in the party.

  • Delta APC crisis: Buhari, party’s NEC urged to intervene

    Delta APC crisis: Buhari, party’s NEC urged to intervene

    A pressure group in the Delta State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the APC Democratic Supporters Movement, has urged the party’s National Executive Council (NEC) and President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene in the party’s crisis in the state.
    It noted that the protracted crisis, especially recent happenings in its Warri Federal Constituency, could jeopardise the party’s chances in future elections.
    In a statement yesterday in Warri, APC Democratic Supporters Movement urged the party’s leaders to make haste in resolving the crisis.
    The statement by the group’s chairman, Elder Sam Abaje, urged President Buhari and APC’s NEC members to act on the demand of some concerned party members who protested their displeasure with the leadership of the National Working Committee (NWC) and requested an end the crisis.
    The statement said: “The chairman, Elder Sam Abaje, calls on the leadership of the party to look seriously at the protest letter written by some to members of the NEC and to President Buhari, decrying the leadership of Chief John Odigie-Oyegun-led NWC for an urgent meeting.
    “Imagine in the case of the Delta State Constituency 1 vacant seat’s primary, held last weekend. There were four candidates but some leaders of the party moved one primary to a village called Obodo, out of Warri main town, just to rig the process in favour of one aspirant; others were shut out.
    “This was totally illegal, but the party did the right thing by telling the world that the real primary was for Sunday, where all the four candidates contested. That is democracy.
    “If the party refuses to follow this good path, I don’t see how the contest and the governorship election in 2019 can be successful because there are too many double agents around. Therefore, we are calling on the President to take a close look at the party around most red states, like Delta.”

  • Delta APC crisis: Party chief seeks national body’s intervention

    A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta State, Chief Felix Anirah, has appealed to the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) to reconcile aggrieved members in the state.

    Anirah, who spoke at Emede in Isoko South Local Government, expressed reservation on the decision of the state’s party executive council to set up a committee to investigate 47 aggrieved members.

    The former House of Assembly candidate for Sapele said Delta State APC’s leadership should be diplomatic in handling the party’s crisis.

    At an expanded executive council meeting at Emede on September 18, the party set up a seven-man committee to probe the 47 members for alleged acts of insubordination and illegality.

    The committee was given three days to make recommendations and submit its report.

    Addressing reporters at Emede, Anirah, who is a former chairman of Sapele Local Government, noted that with the calibre of people involved in the alleged anti-party activities, the state’s party leadership should tread with caution to avoid throwing away “the baby with the bath water”.

    He said: “The choice of the disciplinary committee is that of the state executive. I would say, without fear, that it was an arrangement by the state executive. They only want the membership to rubberstamp it. This, of course, I feel is not too democratic. Even if the disciplinary committee does anything, those indicted have the right to appeal.”