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Dr. Ifeanyi Osuoza

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Delta State has sneered at the attitude of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) in seeing enemies everywhere; declaring that the delusion is what came on them as a result of the “heavy” loss that the party incurred at the polls.

The Party in a statement entitled: “APC now sees enemies everywhere after heavy election defeat – Delta PDP”, and signed by its state Publicity Secretary, Dr. Ifeanyi Osuoza, chided the APC in the State, describing its latest outbursts over fears of arrest of its members, as wild, unfounded and the result of a paranoid mentality, provoked by the heavy loss it suffered in the recently concluded 2019 general elections.

The PDP called attention to a press statement issued by the nullified faction of Delta APC on April 2, 2019 and signed by Barr. Ogheneluemu Sylvester Imonina who it described as “the now illegitimate Publicity Secretary of the party in the State, titled: UNWARRANTED ARREST OF APC LEADERS AND MEMBERS IN ISOKO NORTH IN GENERAL AND OYEDE WARD IN PARTICULAR, BY PDP LED GOVERNMENT OF DELTA STATE IS POLITICS OF BITTERNESS TAKEN TOO FAR!, in which it accused the PDP of plotting what it termed as the unwarranted arrests of APC leaders and members, particularly in Oyede Ward located in Isoko North, as well as in other parts of the State.

Dr. Osuoza, described the APC statement as the hallucinations of certain paranoia provoked by the hay fever of devastating defeat it suffered in the just concluded 2019 polls and the plethora of court cases which have further compounded its endless internal confusion and deepened the no-identity crisis, particularly of the faction whose arrogated authority was recently stripped off, first by a Federal High Court in Asaba and re-affirmed by another Federal High Court in Warri.

He said: “The attention of the Delta State PDP was recently drawn to a statement purportedly signed by the illegitimate Publicity Secretary of Delta APC, in which the author raised all kinds of wild alarms over an unfounded plot by the PDP to arrest some persons said to be APC leaders and members, particularly in Isoko North, as well as in other parts of the State, with the intent to annihilate APC in Isoko North and also ostensibly to compel those at the tribunal to drop their election petitions against victorious PDP candidates.

“Ordinarily, we would not have dignified the wild and rambling press statement with any kind of response, especially since the authority of the author has already been nullified by two properly constituted Courts of Law and the document thus lacks any legitimacy whatsoever, but we must necessarily offer a few salient clarifications for the simple fact that such a malicious and reckless statement has been put out in the public space and the matter must therefore be addressed within the proper context it belongs.

“First, we find it amusing and totally childish that a press statement by the APC would accuse the PDP of plotting to annihilate the party in a mere ward (Iyede) in Isoko land, when we can just as easily trounce and devastated the entire APC machinery in the whole of Delta State, as we did and have been doing in all elections, since its creation. Why use the sledge hammer of PDP on the small APC ants in just one ward in Isoko when we are quite capable of decimating the APC in Delta State as a whole? This particular allegation is quite preposterous and the APC should stop embarrassing itself with frivolous insinuations like this, which in any case, we believe is the product of hallucinations caused by the hay fever of heavy defeat it suffered in the last elections and is yet to recover from.

“Secondly, it is common knowledge all over Delta State and indeed nationally, that a Federal High Court in Asaba has sacked the Prophet Jones Erue led faction, which the author of the Press statement belongs to, as the legitimate executive of Delta APC. We are  also aware that Prophet Jones Erue is an Isoko man and the long drawn battle between him and the other faction of the APC, which unfortunately has now consumed him and his ilk, also created many political enemies and there may be concerted efforts by those who won him in Court to also proceed to cripple him politically in his political stronghold. Our advise to Jones Erue and his motley crowd of losers is to first remove the log in their eyes so that they can see well and identify those behind their travails instead of these wild and unfounded allegations against PDP..

“Thirdly, the Delta PDP frowns at the suggestions of Barr. Imonina that the PDP may not only be conniving with security agencies to arrest its members but has infiltrated virtually all sectors of the society, including churches and market unions, to whittle away APC’s presence in the political space. This is a very sad and sorry reflection of the paranoia which no doubt is symptomatic of the heavy defeat in the aftermath of the general elections. Rather than accept the glaring fact that the crushing defeat it suffered at the polls was not only a reflection of its unpopularity but also a clear statement by Deltans to vote for peace and unity, the APC now sees enemies everywhere and blames, accuses everyone, except itself, of the misfortunes that has befallen its existences after the elections.

“We wish to state for the umpteenth time, the Delta PDP is very satisfied with the professionalism and neutrality exhibited by the security agencies during the 2019 general elections and if, for any reason whatsoever, there is need to clarify issues and allegations pertaining to discrepancies observed during the elections, then those so suspected as instigators would necessarily be invited and given the opportunity to explain and exonerate themselves and then go home, just as the APC statement rightly admitted, had been the case with some of their sympathisers. To therefore suggest partisanship in the actions of the law enforcement agencies, smacks of the same foolish and perfidious mentality of entitlement which led them to great ruin in the elections and to even link the PDP with their travails is absurdity taken too far by the APC, particularly those lily livered fellows from Isoko North, who suddenly see enemies everywhere and are now afraid of their own shadows since after the 2019 elections.

“Finally, let’s us state it loud and clear once again that the PDP won the Delta State elections fair and square as a result of our massive campaigns across all the nooks and crannies in the State and the dynamic, visionary and strategic campaign template which our leader, His Excellency, Senator, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, joined by our leaders and elders in the three senatorial zones of the State, set down for the party ahead of the elections. It is in full confidence of our excellent operations and performances, that we make bold to tell the APC that we are fully ready and prepared to meet them in court.

“For them to therefore infer that the invitations of their members by law enforcement agencies, who are simply doing their job, may even be remotely connected to a ploy by PDP to dissuade them from pursuing the legitimate right to challenge their defeat at the tribunal, is not only mischievous and quite hilarious, but pitifully reflects the dangerous levels of paranoia which the crushing defeat at the polls has inflicted on their psyche.

“While we do not wish to further compound their daze and stupor beyond the already devastating blow dealt to them by the Federal High Courts in Delta State, it is our candid advise to the APC to try and first of all sort out who exactly, between their factions, has the legitimacy to even instigate a petition challenging our election victory at the tribunal. It would indeed be quite sad and unfortunate if after all their brouhaha, they discover that their legal huffing and puffing was initiated by illegitimate persons, who had no business with the elections in the first place.

“As far as Delta APC is concerned, everybody, from market unions, civil society, churches and the security agencies to motor park unions and even the Judiciary, is now their enemy, for the simple reason that they now see enemies everywhere, including the good people of Iyede Ward 7, in Isoko North, after the debilitating defeat they suffered at the hands of the PDP in 2019 general elections. It is a well established and accepted procedure that those who have issues to address or questions to answer with the law enforcement agencies will be invited and must be man enough to clear themselves of such accusations rather than blame others for their predicament.

“We wish to assure the APC that we are neither connected nor even interested in the least with the inanities, shenanigans and trivialities of their political cat and mouse game in Iyede Ward 7 as we are too busy preparing for the historic swearing-in and inauguration of our dear Governor, His Excellency, Senator, Dr.  Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa, for his well deserved and merited second term as the Executive Governor of Delta State, on May 29, 2019.

“That is our major engagement and pre-occupation now and it shall come to pass and end in praise, by the Grace of God and the will of the people.”