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No fewer than seven leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta state have protested an alleged hijack and confiscation of forms meant for Ward Congresses in the state by unauthorized persons.

The protest letter addressed to the National Organising Secretary of the party in Nigeria and signed by Mr. Festus Keyamo, a minister, Chief Great Ogboru, Rt. Hon. Victor Oc\hei, Rt. Hon. Monday Igbuya, Dr. Cairo Ojougbo, Dr. (Mrs) Marian Ali and Air Vice Marshall Okorodudu (rtd), who complained that the Forms that were dispatched to Delta State to be purchased for the Ward Congresses, along with your officials from the National Secretariat, have been violently and unlawfully taken away from the officials.

Accordingly, they raised a three point demand among which is an order for the immediate arrest and prosecution of the gentleman called Nick who impersonated and confiscated the materials without authorisation from the National Secretariat. The Party MUST do this to show it is not complicit in this outrageous act.

The protest letter reads:

Wednesday, July 21, 2021

The National Organising Secretary,

All Progressives Congress,

Abuja.

Dear Compatriot,

AS FEARED AND PREDICTED, THE FORMS FOR THE WARD CONGRESSES MEANT FOR DELTA STATE HAVE BEEN HIJACKED AND CONFISCATED BY UNAUTHORISED PERSONS.

We wish to bring to your attention the fact that the Forms that were dispatched to Delta State to be purchased for the Ward Congresses, along with your officials from the National Secretariat, have been violently and unlawfully taken away from the officials. The moment they arrived Asaba yesterday, Tuesday, July 20, 2021, a certain gentleman named Nick (with phone numbers +2349063077460 and 08083605135) who was acting at the behest of a particular leader of the Party in the State, accosted the officials and with the active connivance of the security personnel that escorted them to the State, took away the entire materials to an undisclosed location under the guise of ‘protecting’ the materials. The leader of your officials is named George. We spoke with him earlier today and he narrated their ordeal to us.

In the recent past, we have consistently sounded alarm bells about the activities of this so-called leader who has been boasting about how he has ‘pocketed’ all the officials of the Caretaker Committee of our great party. He paints a pitiable and beggarly picture of the officials that he tells everyone that they would always do his bidding and pander to his whims, regardless. We know this to be a cheap lie, but the Party MUST act in the face of this kind of lawlessness to further distance itself from such blackmail.

Needless to say that we do not want to believe that this is part of a sinister and reckless plot by some unscrupulous officials to hand over the entire fortunes of our great Party in Delta State to ONE MAN, and to freeze out other genuine leaders in the State. That would be a recipe for total disaster for the Party in a State where we are already struggling as Opposition. We do not claim to be the only leaders in the State either. There are other credible leaders. However, we cannot be denied the right to associate within the Party to promote a common interest, like we have agreed to do. Other leaders are free to do same. To suggest, as we have seen recently, that we cannot associate or meet except we take permission from a certain official of the State Exco that cuts a pitiable picture of a house help to a particular leader (who continues to hold him to ransom with promises that may be some mirage) is to do violence to the spirit and letters of the 1999 Constitution and that of our Party.

PRAYERS:

1. To order the immediate arrest and prosecution of the gentleman called Nick who impersonated and confiscated the materials without authorisation from the National Secretariat. The Party MUST do this to show it is not complicit in this outrageous act.
2. The IMMEDIATE release of the materials to the AUTHORISED officials, who are now stranded in Asaba to perform their LEGITIMATE duties. We shall boycott the whole process and look at other legal options if genuine Party members are denied access to the forms by these characters.
3. A Public Statement by the Party that it has not endorsed anyone AS LEADER in DELTA STATE before whom everyone must go and bow before they can be cleared for the Congresses. That is the fable some characters are telling the unfortunate and misinformed party members in the State to cow them and beat them into line.
4. Kindly act timeously to save this unfortunate situation.

SIGNED:

1. Festus Keyamo,SAN, FCIArb (UK)(Hon. Minister representing Delta in FEC).
2. Olorogun Great Ogboru (2019 APC Governorship Candidate)
3. Rt. Hon. Victor Ochei (Former Speaker, Delta State House of Assembly)
4. Rt. Hon. Monday Igbuya ( Former Speaker, Delta State House of Assembly)

Dr. Cairo Ojugbo (Former ED, NDDC)

5. Dr. (Mrs.) Marian Ali (Formost Woman Leader of the State)
6. AIr Vice Marshall (Rtd) Okorodudu (Former Senatorial Candidate of the APC

CC: 1. President Muhammadu Buhari, National Leader of the APC

2. H. E MAI MALA BUNI, Chairman, APC C&ECC
3. National Secretary, APC C&ECC
4. Various Stakeholders.