Paul Osuyi, Asaba
Immediate past governor of Delta State, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan was, on Wednesday, affirmed as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Delta south senatorial district.
Also, incumbent Senator representing Delta central, Ovie Omo-Agege won the ticket of the party at a parallel primary for Delta central conducted by the Jones Erue-led state executive committee.
O’tega Emerhor had earlier emerged senatorial candidate for Delta central at the other parallel primary conducted by the Cyril Ogodo faction.
But the former governor had no such factional crisis as he was elected unopposed by delegates from the eight local government areas of Delta South at the party’s primary which took place at Oleh Civic Centre in Isoko South.
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The delegates affirmed his candidacy through voice votes being the only aspirant cleared by the National Working Committee of the APC.
On his part, Omo-Agege was declared winner after he polled total of 2,360 out of the 2,414 at the Delta central APC primary conducted at Udu.
While 54 vote were invalid, Omo-Agege’s contestant, O’tega Emerhor scored nil, according to the Returning Office, Lawrence Onoja.
Onoja lauded the peaceful manner of the delegates which according to him was against rumours about Warri and Delta State associated with election violence.
Excited Senator Ovie Omo Agege expressed gratitude to God and to the delegates for reposing the confidence in his ability for quality and robust representation at the senate on behalf of the good people of Delta central senatorial district.
Meanwhile, just as the Erue-led faction expelled Emerhor from the party, the Ogodo-led faction on Wednesday also announced the expulsion of Omo-Agege from the APC.
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In a statement by the faction’s Legal Adviser, Dennis Nwanokwai stated that the expulsion became necessary because of the senator’s “continuing anti-party activities that has remained unabated.”
Nwanokwai stated that the decision taken at an emergency meeting of the State Working Committee, and accused Omo-Agege of hijacking the panel to conduct the primaries of the party in the state.
“The latest of such activities relates to the hijack of primaries panel members and materials sent from the national to conduct primaries in the state and deploying same to conduct unauthorised parallel primaries.
“The manipulation and tampering of delegates lists and the use of thugs to harass and deprive authentic delegates from access to primaries venues; all that in conjunction with Prophet Jones Erue and others who have earlier been expelled from our party,” it stated.