Group decries fifth columnists in Delta APC

A group, the Unity Force, yesterday decried the activities of fifth columnists in the Delta State  All Progressives Congress (APC), saying their efforts were inhibiting the progress of the party.

The group, in a statement by its coordinator, Onye Imaru, observed the continued suspicion between the two major tendencies and what it described as the frustration of the Minister of State, Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, in bringing them together.

The reaction of the group was in the wake of the townhall meeting at PTI Conference Centre, Effurun, Delta State on Monday where unity and strategies to win the election were deliberated on. The group raised observations that the governorship candidate of the party, Chief Great Ogboru, had for one reason or the other not been able to bring everybody on board in his campaign.

He said: “From what can be seen it is evident that issues flowing from the governorship primaries of the party last year are still a yoke on the party and its aspirations to win the governorship election.

“The absence of the major aspirants especially from Delta North in the campaign of the governorship candidate is a serious issue. It is either they have not been convinced or they still have issues to settle with our candidate and hence their seeming indifference towards the governorship election.

“Every effort must be made to address the issue and we dare say that it is not too late for the issues to be resolved.

Imaru added: “Our only concern is that the only person who has shown serious efforts towards settling the groups, that is, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu has continued to be the subject of negative propaganda by what we now believe are fifth columnists in the party. This was obviously seen with the unbridled attack on the minister by the unidentified speaker at the Warri parley with Prof. Osinbajo who accused the minister of anti-party activities and that was despite commendations of Kachikwu’s efforts by the state chapter of the party and the Presidential Campaign Council.

“Such assertions lead to the belief that there are fifth columnists working within the party who do not want the issues in the party to be resolved and perhaps for the purpose of sustaining the status quo in the state.

“We appeal to all party members to come together for the purpose of addressing the issues that divide the party in Delta State for the purpose of projecting the interests of the party in the state.”