The Delta State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has accused the former Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege, of allegedly being the brain behind the participation of the suspended Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele, in the APC presidential primary.
According to the party, Omo-Agege lured Emefiele to
participate in the APC primary in a bid to scuttle President Bola Tinubu’s
ambition.
The claim was disclosed in a letter written to the president
on Monday, titled: “Attempts by Senator Ovie Omo-Agege to scuttle presidential
ambition of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu through recruitment of Mr. Godwin
Emefiele, anti-Tinubu campaign stance and anti-party activities.”
The letter, which was signed by the State APC Secretary,
Michael Inana; Delta North Chairman, Tom Onah; South Chairman, Nelson Ogharama
and Central Chairman, Michael Orunefe.
The statement partly read, “Your Excellency, you will recall
that at a point ahead of the Party National Convention in June 2022, members
especially those of us from Ika South Local Government Area got information
that Omo-Agege had plans to issue party membership card to the CBN Governor,
Godwin Emefiele and we objected to his plans. We told him it was not morally
right for Emefiele to contest and that it would affect your chances to secure
the presidential ticket.
“All efforts to make Omo-Agege see reasons fell on deaf ears
but he convinced Emefiele and assured him that he will get the Party National
Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka whom he planted as a spy to help get Emefiele
the ticket.
“Your Excellency Sir, permit us to refer you to PUNCH
Newspaper of May 9, 2022, which confirmed the story that the APC Ward Chairman
eventually gave Emefiele the membership card in February 2021. The name of the
Ward Chairman is Mr. Nduka Erikpume and the Ika South APC Local Government
Chairman is Hilary FadaIbude. These two were the ones who also signed our state
leaders’ expulsion letters on the instructions of Omo-Agege. Their offence was
that they opposed Omo-Agege’s position to recruit Emefiele to contest the
Presidential election against you,” the letter stressed.
Continuing, the statement maintained that on the night of
the APC Convention, the Delta delegates were instructed by the former deputy
senate president to vote against Tinubu, who he alleged stood no chance against
their ‘anointed.’
Inana and others noted in the letter that virtually every
delegate was aware of this stance, adding that as God would have it, the former
Lagos State Governor won the primary convincingly.
However, they maintained that Omo-Agege has yet to forgive
them for opposing him.
The Delta APC allegation also recalled that in the build-up
to the 2023 general elections, party faithful and critical stakeholders,
especially, those not in Omo-Agege’s camp, were sidelined and prevented from
participating in the activities, including the buying of forms to contest
congresses and primaries.
It insisted, “They did this to the extent that Omo-Agege was
the only person in Delta who collected forms for the gubernatorial primaries.
The same thing was applicable to Senatorial, House of Representatives, and
State Assembly Primaries. Omo-Agege single-handedly nominated all the
candidates in Delta State.
“His personal staff
members were subsequently made party officials in Delta State, including the
current APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, who was his legal aide.
His political adviser, Omeni Sobotie, also became the party chairman. All aides
in his office were allotted party positions in the state excos,” he alleged
further.
The letter containing the allegation was also accompanied by
tweets, Omo-Agege’s campaign posters involving the Obidient movement, and video
clip evidence to prove he was involved in a series of anti-party activities
even during the 2023 general elections.
It also maintained that the development led many party
chieftains, including Chief Great Ogboru to leave the APC to pursue their
political ambitions in other parties before the poll.
The statement remarked, “Mr. President, we enclose herewith
posters and videos of Omo-Agege and Labour Party candidate, Mr. Peter Obi,
posing ahead of the election to the fact that he and his group never worked for
you. We cannot continue this way in Delta.
“Therefore, we call on you to ask Omo-Agege to free the
State APC of his stranglehold so it can breathe freely.
“You can imagine that in an election held on the same day,
the APC won two senatorial seats and could not garner the required 25 per cent
votes in the state. This makes it obvious that Omo-Agege asked his followers
not to vote for you. If you have any doubt, you have the security agencies at
your command to investigate the points we have raised,” the statement pointed
out.
When contacted for a reaction, the Communications and Media
Strategist for Omo-Agege Campaign Organisation, Ima Niboro, told our
correspondent to reach the politician’s Chief Press Secretary, Sunny Areh.
Areh also declined comment, saying the Chairman of the Delta
APC, Omeni Sobotie, will be in a better position to discuss the issue and the
crisis rocking the party at the state level.
As of the time of filing this story, Sobotie could not be
reached as his phone repeatedly indicated that he was unreachable.
However, Morka defended the former DSP, saying the
allegation was spurious.
The APC national publicity secretary also disclosed that the
claim was probably sponsored by the expelled former APC chieftain and Delta
grassroots politician, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh.
“I am sure you that’s not the real Delta APC. Those guys are
Cairo Ojougboh’s sponsored organisation. Over time, we know Cairo has set his
‘bunch of nobodies’ just to perpetrate this sort of rubbish.
“I think the reaction that will be appropriate for now is
the state executive of the party. That is where you can get the proper
perspective,” he said.
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
No comments
Post a Comment
Kindly drop a comment below.
(Comments are moderated. Clean comments will be approved immediately)
Advert Enquires - Reach out to us at NigerianEye@gmail.com