DELTA GOVERNORSHIP: APC Debunks Zoning Formula

Ahead of the gubernatorial race in 2019, the Delta State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), said the party has no intention and would not zone the governorship ticket to Delta North Senatorial District.

The party in a press statement Monday signed by the state chairman, Prophet Jones Ode Erue, and made available to journalists in Asaba, noted “the attention of the state working committee of our great party has been drawn to various newspaper publications particularly that of the Sunday telegraph of February18th, 2018 to the effect that the APC Delta State has zoned the governorship ticket to Delta North Senatorial District”.

The statement stated clearly that the party has not zoned the governorship ticket to any zone just as it stressed that the party has made tremendous progress geared towards building a united and formidable front in recent times.

The chairman assured party leaders, members and the electorate of the party’s unalloyed commitment, saying that the party would strictly follow its constitution in the choice of all her candidates.

According to the statement, “our primaries will be free, fair and credible, as we will follow due process all the time. Our members should be rest assured that there shall be no imposition of candidates”.

It called on members to trust the leadership of the party, “because we shall be genuinely transparent, responsible, lawful, just and fair in all our internal political leadership emergence processes”.

The party vowed that “nobody or external force or interest can hijack our primaries”, noting that the party frown at any move to cause division in the party, saying “it must be noted that we are not running this party on a zonal basis but as a united party with common objective of salvaging Delta State from the several years of PDP misrule.

It reiterated that members should continue with confidence-building measures across the length and breadth of Delta State just as it added that “the more harmony, the better”.

A meeting of Delta North Senatorial District of APC has resolved that any party member found holding brief outside the recognized Delta North meeting would be sanctioned appropriately.

Chief Ben Onwuka, chairman, APC Oshimili South local government council stated that the party has put a stop to pressure groups in the party, disclosing that Delta North APC has made Dr (Mrs) Maryam Ali, the leader of the party in the area as she has shown commitment since she came to the party, saying that her presence has attracted more people to the party.

Also speaking, chairman of the party in Ndokwa West, Robbison Izu, hinted that the meeting was to consolidate on “our earlier agreement to have our Delta North leader, Mrs Maryam Ali”.

He noted that the position has been vacant for a very long time in the area, carpeting those who are kicking against her installment as leader of the party, “these people have been around for four good years we have been with them. They left this party but immediately Mrs Maryam Ali came into APC, things changed in terms of people trooping in to APC”.

The duo expressed hope that with the presence of Mrs Ali, the party would be more formidable and take over power from the ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), come 2019.

Meanwhile, the party has frown at any move to cause division in the party, saying “it must be noted that we are not running this party on a zonal basis but as a united party with common objective of salvaging Delta State from the several years of PDP misrule”.

“We are determined to sustain our good successes as we march towards 2019 to defeat the Peoples’ Democratic Party in Delta for its unprecedented bad governance that has made Delta a laughable stock everywhere”.