Petroleum Minister Harps On Unity, As Party Chairman Ridicules State Governor

By Kenneth Orusi, The Nigerian Voice, Asaba

The All Progressives Congress (APC), Delta State chapter, has been asked to remain one and formidably work towards the liberation of Delta State from the ruling Poples’ Democratic Party (PDP), come 2019.

Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr Ibe Kachikwu, gave the charge at the formal unveiling of the new party secretariat, along Anwai road, about 800 meters away from Ifeanyi Okowa’s Government House, Asaba.

According to the minister, “All members of APC running for elective office cannot win at same time but what is important is the unity and the overall victory for the party during the election. You must remain faithful to the party irrespective of whether you win or lose”.

Also speaking, Chairman of the party in the state, Prophet Jones Ode-Erue, described the so called defection of members of the party in Delta Central in Ughelli as a film trick.

He also described the actions of the state governor Ifeanyi Okowa, in welcoming the unknown members who defected in Ughelli as ridiculous, stating that the figures of members who defected from the APC to the PDP were fabricated to make it look like they (PDP) are in charge.

Hear him: “I am laughing at Okowa, 5, 000 did not decamp. It is all a film trick, it is juggling of figures and that is very ridiculous”, he declared.

He said that he is confident of the credentials of the APC to come to power after the 2019 Governorship election, “We want to take over power and for sure, I am leading opposition to victory and we are winning the Governorship election on landslide victory”, he boasted.

He stated that those who have other goals that are not in line with the state goals are people who want to achieve their self- orchestrated goals, stressing that, the unity of APC would be seen when the time is due in order to achieve the common goal of the party to sweep PDP out of “Delta State”.

“Let nobody deceive you that there are factions in APC, APC has only one Chairman. There are no factions in APC, there are tendencies in APC and tendencies do not mean factions”.

He also enjoined that the party is not worried about different antics of people to cause disunity but he is assured that the APC would win the Governorship election on the premise of strength as other strategies are also in place to ensure the success of the party in the upcoming Governorship election in the state.

Speaking on the new location of the new secretariat close to the Delta State Government House, he asserted that the citing of the new APC secretariat is for strategic reasons, “The new All Progressive Congress Secretariat is in a strategic position, we took the position for spiritual and physical reasons. The physical reason is that moving close to the Government House, even when the present political party won they were close to the Government House and because of that we have decided to stay on Anwai road and walk straight to the Government”, he purported.

Speaking on House of Representatives aspirants who came for screening, he pleaded with them to be patient regardless of the delay in the date for the screening process, “The delay may be a strategy to make sure we have a credible committee, with men of integrity and character. That no one will complain when assignment is given to them, that is why they are shopping for such men and women and men of high integrity to do the screening”. he said.

He stated that aspirants would not be unduly cut off from the screening process despite the high numbers of aspirant who are vying for different positions in the House of Representatives, assuring that aspirants with the requisite qualification, would be screened.