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From Paul Osuyi, Asaba
A chieftain of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Delta State, Victor Sorokwu described the recent outbursts of the former Executive Director of Projects on the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Cairo Ojuogboh against the Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege, as deliberate attempt to undo a perceived food and curry favour from unsuspecting audience.
Sorokwu, a loyalist of Omo-Agege, said Ojuogboh was engaging in acts of mischief with his outburst by insisting that the Deputy Senate President who is also the governorship candidate of APC in Delta was involved in anti-party during the just concluded general elections.
Sorokwu admitted that there was factional crisis in the party in build up to the primaries, noting however that once the national secretariat recognized the ward, local government and state congresses of the Omo-Agege faction, other leaders, except Ojuogboh, merged into the mainstream.
The party chieftain said he holds Ojuogboh in high esteem as a distinguished leader, noting however that hee cannot continue to drag everyone into the pigeonhole of his vested political interest, when the national leadership has already pointed the direction.
He said while other formerly aggrieved leaders played different roles during the campaigns, Ojuogboh stayed aloof, adding that with his “recent outbursts even the deaf could discern where he stood before and during the elections.”
On the issue of support from ‘Obidient Movement’ during the governorship election, the convener of Ugo Anioma Solidarity Movement, narrated the role he personally played to ensure that the supporters of the Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, stood behind Omo-Agege.
“On the issue of Obidients support for DSP Omo-Agege, I state without any equivocation that I was at the heart of it, being the convener and facilitator of the support group.
“The group was driven by principal coordinators of the ‘Obidient Movement’ across the three senatorial districts.
“Seeing the locust-like invasion of Delta political landscape by the ‘Obidient Movement’, especially as evidenced in the presidential election, keen and desirous to win in the subsequent Governorship and House of Assembly elections, I had an acquaintance who spoke to me about the disposition of the Obidients. So I reached out to them.
“Fundamentally, they were non card carrying members of any political party, including the Labour Party. Yes, they were uncompromising supporters of Peter Obi, but they were ingrained in the philosophy that competence, capacity and credibility should be the non-negotiable attributes of their preferred candidates.
“So, immediately after the presidential election, I held several critical meetings with them as they were already persuaded to meet with my principal, DSP Omo-Agege; who they regarded as the most credible and competent candidate with commensurate capacity to bring the desirous change Deltans clamour for.
“At the beginning, the Delta APC was skeptical of the Obidients’ volunteer support for DSP Omo-Agege, considering the fact that the Labour party had a governorship candidate.
“But the Obidients remained adamant that they were not card carrying members of the LP, insisting that Peter Obi had clearly stated that the Obidients in each state were at liberty to decide who to support in accordance with predetermined yardsticks. Moreover, they were resolute on the undeniable credentials of the Delta APC governorship candidate.
“Again, according to the group, the Labour Party candidate ab-initio had a discreet pact with the incumbent governor and had cashed out his LP ticket to the PDP.
“So leadership of the Obidient Movement in Delta State unequivocally, without any veil, at a grand event in Asaba on March 4, endorsed and adopted my principal as their governorship candidate; in accordance with their philosophy and in spite of the LP candidate for the March 18 Governorship Election.
“So it becomes deliberate act of mischief to hang the garb of anti-party on the Delta APC governorship candidate, DSP Ovie Omo-Agege,” he stated.
