By Sylvester Idowu in Warri
Delta State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday clarified that incumbent Senator Ovie Omo-Agege was the authentic candidate of the party for Delta Central Senatorial for 2019 election.
The party’s position was contained in a statement signed by the state party Secretary, Mr. Chidi Okonji and made available to THISDAY titled ‘Statement by Delta State APC on the Purported Suspension of Senator Ovie Omo-Agege’.
The party maintained that Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, as a key member of the All Progressives Congress, was the authentic nominee of the party for the Delta Central Senatorial District in next year’s election.
“He won the primary conducted on Wednesday, October 3, 2018 by the Primary Election Panel of APC led by General Lawrence Onoja from Benue State in a landslide.
“This clarification became necessary due to the fake news circulating in the media that the Distinguished Senator who is the only elected member of APC in Delta State has been suspended by the illegal State Working Committee led by Chief Cyril Ogodo on Wednesday, October 3, 2018,” it stated.
It recalled that “this same illegal Delta APC State Working Committee that claim to have suspended Omo-Agege also organised an alternative Delta Central Senatorial primary in Ughelli on Tuesday, October 2, that returned Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, who is no longer in our party, as the winner of the APC Delta Central Senatorial primary.
“Mr. Solomon Igbiaye who acted as the Returning Officer of the alternative primary is a member of APC from Warri North Local Government Area. He was not authorised by the National Working Committee or any organ of our party to perform such function,” the party said.
Delta APC noted that Mr. Ogodo and five other members of his “illegal State Working Committee” were expelled from the party last week for anti-party activities and impersonation of party officials and such had no powers to suspend any member of the party.
“Members of the party, supporters of Senator Ovie Omo-Agege and the general public should therefore disregard the purported suspension of the
Distinguished Senator of Federal Republic of Nigeria and the alleged nomination of Olorogun O’tega Emerhor as the senatorial candidate for Delta Central District”, it added.
