APC Ward Congresses: One Killed in Delta

The All Progressives Congress (APC) ward congresses in Delta state started on a bloody note Saturday as a ward chairmanship aspirant, Jeremiah Oghoveta, was stabbed to death.

Although the exercise had not commenced in several places as at the time of filing this report, as a result of some alleged irregularities, the places where it had commenced were varied in experiences.

Speaking on the exercise while voting in his Evwreni ward 8 of Ughelli South, the leader of the party in the state, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, said the party had a consensus candidate and it was peaceful.

He said APC was poised to entrench the principle of internal democracy in order to have a stronger party that could take over the state in 2019.

He added that based on the reports he had got concerning the Saturday exercise, things went on smoothly and peacefully, saying his Friday’s call for a peaceful and participatory Congresses was heeded to.

At Okwagbe community, Jeremi 3 in Ughelli South ward 10, Oghoveta, who was contesting the chairmanship seat of the party in the ward was stabbed to death by one Tete Pippah after an argument that ensued from allegations of hijack of materials by a side involved in the process.

The Nation gathered that matters went bad when Oghoveta disagreed with some other party members, asking why materials would be hijacked. He was leaving the scene when his attacker stabbed him on the neck and fled the spot, leaving him dead.

The Police Public Relations Officer of the Delta state police command, Andrew Aniamaka (DSP), confirmed the incident, adding that the command had already started an investigation into the incidence as well as commenced moves to arrest Pippah, who was already on the run.

Meanwhile, as at the time of filing this report, the exercise was being stalled due to non-availability of materials to conduct the exercise, although many of the centres in Delta Central had taken the initiative to conduct provisional elections, aimed at saving time and energies of voters.

Explaining the delay in actual process to the Nation in Warri, a reliable source, who is in the party’s hierarchy, but who did not want his name mentioned, said the materials for the exercise were still being held up in Asaba as the committee in charge of the congress in the state.

“Nothing is happening in my area because they don’t have materials yet. They have been calling me to ask what to do, but I told them to be patient. I am just returning from Asaba now and the materials are yet to be distributed, even those we left in Asaba still said the situation remained the same, I just spoke with some of them”, he explained.

He said that those commissioned from the party’s national office to conduct the Delta exercise had decided to delay the release of materials because of the conflicting interests of various party stakeholders.

Meanwhile, in some of the places visited by the Nation in different parts of the state revealed varying moods and reactions.

In Ovu ward 5, Salubi primary school, Ethiope East local government area, Congress was held but there were persons protesting the result of the Congress while a mammoth members of the party were jubilating celebrating the result of the congress.

Meanwhile, the leader of the ward, Chief Frank Ovie Kokori said the election was peaceful and candidate emerged, pointing that way those few persons seen protesting are those whose lost out and that does not mean we are divided.

Kokori who said the party is waxing stronger in the state, explained that the congresses being held across the country is a preparation awaiting the main election coming up next year 2019.

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