Delta APC crisis: Omo-Agege did not hijack registration exercise – Ajobena

From Paul Osuyi, Asaba

A member of the national caucus of the All Progressives Congress (APC), AVM Frank Ajobena (retd), has exonerated the Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege from the crisis that led to the suspension of the party’s nationwide registration and revalidation exercise in Delta State.

Ajobena, a former executive director on the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) said it was not possible for a person to hijack the party exercise.

There were allegations on Wednesday that Senator Omo-Agege in collusion with the state caretaker committee chairman, Jones Erue, hijacked the process in Delta State, forcing the national leadership to suspend the exercise.

Among those that raised the alarm of alleged hijack was the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo who hails from Delta.

But Ajobena urged Keyamo and other stakeholders of the party to rally round Senator Omo-Agege to grow APC in the state.

He insisted that it was difficult for one person to know everybody that would be registered in the 270 federal wards, describing the alarm raised by Keyama as mischievous.

While urging Keyamo to concentrate on his Ministerial job and stop playing divisive politics, he said there was the need for all party leaders to be united and work towards bringing people into the party.

“What are we really dragging? The sky is big enough for all of us to fly. There can be only one leader at a time. As at today, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege is number five in the hierarchy of leadership of the country as Deputy Senate President and he is our leader in Delta State,” he said.

Ajobena disclosed that the party has been planning the registration and revalidation exercise since 2019, adding that the exercise was meant to build on the strength of the party in the country.

On his part, the state caretaker committee chairman, Jones Erue has described as misleading reports of alleged hoarding of registration materials and hijack of the process in the state.

Erue in a statement said the reports were not only vexatious and lies from the pit of hell but also the handiwork of mischief makers who do not want the progress of APC in Delta State.

“Let it be put on records that I, Prophet Jones Ode Erue is neither a member of the Delta State APC membership revalidation, update and registration committee nor privy to the whereabout of registration materials which is in the exclusive custody and responsibility of the membership revalidation, update and registration committee sent from Abuja to have warranted confused individuals and their fake media industry collaborators to drag my name into what I know nothing about.

“By and large, may I use this medium to warn those misguided elements who are always in the inglorious habit of defaming my reputation to desist henceforth or face the full wrath of God and it’s antedant consequences,” the statement read.