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The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Comrade Adams Oshiomhole’s intervention in the factional brouhaha of the party in Delta State failed get the Olorogun Cyril Ogoda faction to withdraw the case instituted in court challenging Prophet Jones Ode Erue’s claim as Delta state chairman of the party.
Oshiomhole only directed the leaders to go and work with Erue as chairman, pointing out that their working together is important to him because “I have interest in Delta State to remove the incumbent Governor Ifeanyi Okowa.”
Sources hinted that Oshiomhole directed that pending the determination of the case in court challenging Eru’s claim as chairman, that all should work with Erue for the success of the APC in Delta State.
The meeting, which held on Tuesday night on 25/7/2018, in Abuja at the instance of the National Chairman was to reconcile the leaders of the two factions of the party which have been on each other jugular for the past one year.
Chief Press Secretary to the National Chairman of the APC, Mr. Simon Ebegbulem, confirmed the reconciliation meeting in a statement on Wednesday, saying Oshiomhole reconciled the leaders during the meeting and stressed the need for all to bury the hatchet so as to achieve victory in the forthcoming 2019 general elections.
“In order to ensure lasting peace and reconciliation in the party in Delta State, the chairman noted that while Prophet Jones Ode Erue, remains the state chairman, other positions in the state Exco will be harmonized to accommodate the interest of all the parties”, he quoted Oshiomhole as saying during the meeting.
Oshiomhole who further urged the party leaders to embrace the Prophet Erue-led leadership in moving the party forward, however condemned what he described as unwarranted attacks on social media and Newspapers on his person and the National Working Committee of the party by some party members in Delta state.
He said that party faithful should rather make comments that will reconcile the party and not one that will further inflame the crisis.
The meeting was attended by who is who in Delta APC, including the Minister of State Petroleum, Dr Ibe Kachikwu, Chief Great Ogboru, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, Prophet Jones Erue, Cairo Ojougboh, Victor Ochei, Chief Ayiri Emami, Olorogun Cyril Abeye Ogodo, Dr Miriam Nneamaka Ogoh Ali and Comrade Frank Kokori amongst others
The meeting which commenced at about 8: pm lasted till 11:30 Tuesday night and all the parties exchanged pleasantries at the end of the meeting.
Addressing the leaders, Oshiomhole who expressed his resolve to ensure that the party wins Delta State, admonished the leaders not to allow their ambitions over-ride the general interest of the party, stressing that the issue of the governorship candidate of the party must not be allowed to destroy the party in the state.
“I have said it before that I have interest in Delta state because Edo and Delta is one. And we must ensure that Delta join Edo state in APC through democratic means.
“And I know that we all can do it if we can reconcile our differences and confront the real enemy, which is the PDP. And whatever we are doing, I believe we should think about the interest of Delta people who have been denied of good governance by the PDP administration over the years.
“Only one person can be governor at a time and before you know it eight years is over and another person takes over. So we must not see it as a do or die affair.
“We must all work together make concessions and go back to work immediately because we have no time. We are going to confront an incumbent who is desperate to return but we will mobilize Delta people to stop Dr Ifeanyi Okowa”, he stated.
The statement however said that most of the leaders who expressed their views commended Comrade Oshiomhole for finding solution to the protracted crisis rocking the party in the state and expressed their willingness to work with the national leadership of the party to ensure victory for the party.
The state party chairman, Prophet Erue who appealed for calm, promised to work with all the stakeholders and solicited the cooperation of the leaders and party faithful to enable him succeed.
The Minister of State Petroleum, Dr Ibe Kachikwu, in his vote of thanks, urged the party leaders to abide by the decision of the National leadership of the party and ensure that peace returns to Delta State.
“I commend you Mr Chairman for this effort and other efforts you have been making to ensure unity in our party in states where we have crisis.
“I want to urge our party leaders to embrace peace so we can achieve victory for the party come 2019”, Kachikwu added.