From Paul Osuyi, Asaba
Deputy Senate President Senator Ovie Omo-Agege on Saturday hailed the conduct of members of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Delta State during the Ward Congresses across the state.
Senator Omo-Agege said in a statement that the Congresses were successful in the state.
He said it was heart-warming that leaders and members in all 25 local government areas participated actively, responsibly and peacefully.
‘The keen grassroots interest in the congress and massive turnout everywhere are particularly encouraging.
‘Our people simply reaffirmed the reality that the APC has truly attained new, robust strategic electoral strengths to dominate the politics of Delta State.
‘It is in our collective interest for today’s winners to be genuinely magnanimous in victory by embracing and respecting their opponents. Nobody should be treated as a loser under any circumstances.
“Mutual respect through constructive engagements is a critical component of productive politics. Our new ward executives are trusted to humbly embrace this approach in piloting the affairs of our party at the grassroots,’ Omo-Agege said in the statement.
However, the leadership of the party in Delta North said there was no Congress in the nine local government areas of the district.
In a statement entitled: ‘We’ll Not Build Our Party Structures On Sinking Sand – APC Delta North’, said the leaders’ council had already petitioned the national secretariat over an alleged hijack of the Ward Congress forms by members of a pressure group suspected to be loyal to Omo-Agege.’
The statement was signed by the senatorial chairman, Ben Onwuka and secretary, Victor Sorokwu.
It read in parts: ‘The same Omo-Agege group were said to have convened cluster of incongruous meetings across the state and purported constituted themselves as ward executives from today’s supposed Ward Congress.
‘APC Delta North senatorial district however wishes to state clearly that there was no Ward Congress in the nine local government areas of the zone as the Ward Congress materials were reportedly hijacked from the APC Ward Congress officials from Abuja at the Asaba airport.
‘While we await the urgent intervention of the national leadership of our party, the APC, we urge our party faithful to remain calm and unruffled while the affront is being addressed accordingly.’