By Chris Iwarah
barring last-minute changes, the leadership of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta State will meet on Sunday and Monday to finalise arrangements to receive Labour Party governorship candidate in the 2015 general election, Chief Great Ogboru, former speaker of the state House of Assembly, Mr. Victor Ochei and other Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) defectors.
A top member of APC in the state told Daily Sun that an expanded meeting of the executive committee of the party was fixed to consider and approve the report of a nine-member committee, led by Mr. Fred Okpowhoro, it recently set up to interact with the intending members of the party in the state.
The committee, it was gathered, was also mandated to reach out to PDP members who were disenchanted with the state government and win them over to APC.
The source assured that the leadership of APC in the state was set to consider and approve resolutions made for receiving Ogboru, Ochei and other PDP chieftains into the party.
The meeting, the source added, would also draw up a timetable for the grand reception rally for the defectors.
“It will be the mother of all rallies and will change the political equation of Delta State ahead of 2019 elections,” the source said.
Delta State chapter of APC recently embarked on broad-based discussions with key politicians and groups in the state to forge an alliance aimed at wrestling power from PDP in 2019. PDP has been in control of the state government since the restoration of democracy in the country 17 years ago.
Leader of APC in Delta and governorship candidate in the 2015 general election, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor recently told newsmen: “APC as the national ruling party in the country is attracting major interest of critical political players in Delta State, who share the common mission of dislodging the PDP that has misruled the state for nearly 17 years.”
He added: “We are excited by the decision of known opposition leaders and strong former PDP stalwarts who are now joining forces with us in this endeavour. In particular, Chief Great Ogboru is leading the whole structure of the Labour Party in Delta State to join us.
“The former speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Victor Ochei, as you must be aware, apart from being the state leader of Accord Party, also set up a statewide structure to pursue his then governorship race in the PDP. He is also collapsing these structures into the APC.
“There are others, former commissioners and government appointees and party stalwarts of the PDP that have joined us or are warming up to do so.”