National APC Leaders Endorsed Emerhor as Authentic Leader in Delta, Says Oghenesivbe

• PDP sponsoring disgruntled elements to destabilise Delta APC

Omon-Julius Onabu in Asaba

Dr. Fred Latimore Oghenesivbe, Director of Media and Political Communication to Delta All Progressive Congress (APC) leader, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, has debunked claims in some quarters that Emerhor has hijacked the party in the state, saying the national leadership of the APC has endorsed him as the authentic leader of the party in Delta State.

Oghenesivbe, who is also the Convener, Rescue Delta Media Group (RDMG) of the APC, told THISDAY in Asaba in a telephone chat, “There is no controversy whatsoever about the fact that Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, the APC candidate in 2015 gubernatorial election in Delta State remains the authentic leader of our great party.”

The legal practitioner noted that series of events this week at the national headquarters of the APC have only laid credence to the prime position of Emerhor in the hierarchy of the party in the state and the country at large.

“Certain individuals who have contributed next-to-nothing to the development of the APC in Delta State and who are clearly being sponsored by the PDP to destabilize are the so-called APC leaders making spurious allegations against the nationally acknowledged leadership of Olorogun Emerhor”, Oghenesivbe stressed.

He said it was “laughable for a person who doesn’t even have any link with any member of the National Working Committee of the APC to claim to be a leader of the party in Delta State.”

The APC chieftain went on to recount the joint conference held in Abuja on Tuesday by members of the APC NWC led by the national chairman of the party as well as Emerhor, Delta APC chairman Erhue and the new entrants including Ogboru and Ochei.

Oghenesivbe noted, “The National Chairman of the APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, together with Delta APC leader, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, new high profile joiners Chief Great Ogboru and Rt Hon Victor Ochei, addressed a joint press conference at the national secretariat of APC in Abuja on Tuesday, June 28th after a meeting where the Delta State APC leader, Olorogun Emerhor presented Chief Great Ogboru, Hon Victor Ochei, other heavyweights of Labour Party, PDP, Accord and SDP to the National Chairman and National Working Committee (NWC) of the party.”

He observed that “Oyegun while congratulating Delta APC on the feat of bringing together such array of political heavyweights across, specifically acknowledged Olorogun O’tega Emerhor as the recognised state leader of the party in Delta State.

“The National Chairman commended him and the state Chairman Prophet Jones Erhue for their sacrifices and broad mindedness in putting the interest of growing the party ahead of self-interest. Oyegun further urged all those in Delta State not yet working with Emerhor and the Prophet Jones Erhue Exco to sheath their sword and join the main stream of the party in the state.”

Olorogun Emerhor on his part declared the day his happiest in APC, Oghenesivbe further said, adding that with the entrance of Ogboru and Ochei, “an effective quit notice has now been served on PDP to vacate government house Asaba in 2019.”

He quoted Emerhor as saying during the joint press conference that he was elated that “for a long while only discouraging news has emanated from APC Delta, but that at last we now have not only good but great news! He eulogized Chief Ogboru and Hon Ochei as progressive political juggernauts that has come to join hands with the existing structures of APC and will jointly sink PDP in Delta State.

“Ogboru while also thanking Emerhor for his dexterity in midwifing the occasion, also corroborated Emerhor’s position, saying the new APC is a team that has worked together and won victory in Delta state before and shall repeat the feats again in 2019. He said with the caliber of persons that have now converged in APC, and the collapse of the former labour party structures into APC, the Pdp will soon be routed from Delta State.

“On his part, Ochei agreed that the end of PDP has come; that he and others coming from the PDP background know what it takes to win elections and shall transfer such skills to deliver APC in Delta State. He thanked Emerhor, the State Chairman, Erhue, the National Chairman and NWC for the good reception accorded them and pledged to work for the unity and success of the party in the state.”

Some elders of the Delta APC had alleged that Emerhor hijacked the party and excluded them from the activities of the party including the reception at the APC National Secretariat in Abuja for Ogboru, Ochei and others.

The elders of the party led by Senator Francis Spanner Okpozo and Chief Hycinth Enuha are allegedly at loggerheads with Emerhor and the state chairman, Erhue over what the elders described as the overbearing influence of Emerhor on the APC in the state, claiming that it has not only weakened the party but has also stopped it from playing its active role of opposition in the state.