Aftermath of Guber election: Omo-Agege, Ojougboh, Onochie in crossfire

Forum 1 year ago

Aftermath of Guber election: Omo-Agege, Ojougboh, Onochie in crossfire

Sledgehammer on Ojougboh CHAIR of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Ika South Local Government Area chapter, Delta State, Hilary Ibude, shocked not few, on March 27, when he announced the expulsion of one of the party’s leaders in the area, Dr Cairo Ojougboh, from the party, citing a series of petitions against him on anti-party activities, just after the March 18 governorship polls.

The Publicity Secretary of APC in the state, Valentine Onojeghuo, confirmed that the State Executive Committee, SEC, met at Asaba, and approved the ejection of the former Executive Director of Projects, Niger-Delta Development Commission, NDDC, from the party.

His words: “The SEC decided to do so following the resolution and adoption of the Notice of Expulsion earlier imposed by the executive committee of the Ika South local government chapter of the party on the 27th of March.”

Onochie, NDDC chair follows

Whilst people were trying to untangle what went askew, executive members of the APC in Onicha Olona, Ward 4, in the Aniocha local government area of the state, suspended the chairperson of the governing board, NDDC, Ms. Lauretta Onochie, alluding to her conduct during the general elections and anti-party activities.

In the suspension letter signed by 27 ward executives, the party said: “We have painstakingly reviewed the conduct of the just concluded general elections at all levels and have noted with dismay that Lauretta Onochie, one leader of our great party, worked against the success of the party in Onicha-Olona, Ward 4, and beyond.”

“We have lost confidence in her party membership and suspend her from the party immediately” .

To close observers of APC in the state, especially since the Deputy Senate President, DSP, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, governorship candidate of the party in the March 18 polls, became the most powerful man in the party; it was apparent who was pulling the trigger.

The counterattack against Omo-Agege

Out of the blue, and throwing the APC into a deeper conundrum, an unfamiliar executive committee of the party in Orogun ward and Ughelli North local government area chapter of APC (Omo-Agege is from Orogun ward), reportedly expelled him from the party.

A factional SEC headed by Ulebor Isaac, different from the SEC led by the state chair, Elder Omeni Sobotie, on March 31, resolved and adopted the expulsion of Senator Ovie Omo Agege as a member of the party.

The resolution read in part, ”After deliberation of the notice of a resolution for the expulsion of Senator Omo-Agege as a member of the party by the executive committee of the Orogun ward and Ughelli North local government area chapter, dated March 20, 2023… We unanimously resolved and adopted the expulsion of Senator Omo-Agege as a party member.

“Senator Omo-Agege stands expelled as a member of the party with immediate effect for various offenses committed and acts of anti-party activities, gross misconduct that had brought shame and ridicule to the party’s image in the state, which affected the party in the just concluded elections.”

Sobotie, Akarogbe wade in

Responding to the purported expulsion of Omo-Agege, the state chair, Elder Sobotie, and secretary, Surveyor Peter Akarogbe, in a disclaimer, on April 3, said the signatories to the social media publication expelling Omo-Agege from the party were faceless group posing to be members of the executive committee of the party in the state.

The party advised the public, party faithful, and stakeholders to discountenance the said publication and view it as the worthless undertaking of men with crooked intentions.

Despite Sobotie’s tact in deemphasizing the purported throwing out of DSP Omo-Agege in his disclaimer, it was clear that the party has split into two factions, with those for Omo-Agege over his assumed appropriation of the party on one side, and the group symbolized by Ojougboh and Onochie on the other.

National leadership warns combatants

However, reliable sources said that the national leadership of the party had sent a strong warning to the leadership of the party in the state to halt the unnecessary diversion and evaluate the state of affairs dispassionately, and work towards future elections, knowing that the party’s performance in the state has been of concern.

A member of the National Working Committee, NWC, of the party, who disapproved of the unlawful and instigated suspensions in the Delta state chapter of the party, asserted, “ All hands should be on deck towards moving the party forward.”

DSP studying development

Senator Omo-Agege has not in person reacted to his alleged expulsion, but as presently made up, there is practically no structure or power that could expel the lawmaker from the Delta state chapter, of which he is the general overseer and commanding officer. He is reportedly more interested in his petition to upturn the PDP victory, but also watching the development.

Ojougboh, a one-man army

Saturday Vanguard could not reach Dr. Ojougboh, during the week, for comments, but learned that he never hid his feelings that Omo-Agege hijacked the party, and handpicked the executives at all levels in the state, which he used for whatever pleased him.

His ward executive members accused him of not delivering his ward and local government area to Omo-Agege in the governorship election.

Ojougboh, presumably angry about how the deputy senate president attempted to cow APC members and turn them to his stooges in the state, stood up against him in the party and attracted the party’s wrath after they lost the governorship polls to Rt. Hon Sheriff Oborevwori of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

We learned Ojougboh faced a running battle with Omo-Agege, who went up against his previous NDDC portfolio, and his later bid to clinch a ministerial appointment; therefore, for these and other reasons, the Delta-North politician didn’t have reason to pull all his strings for Omo-Agege.

Onochie’s guided missile

Chairperson of the NDDC, Lauretta Onochie, who reacted to her suspension, last week, took a swipe at the power behind her suspension. Onochie’s ward executive members in Onicha-Olona said she failed to deliver her polling unit and ward in the presidential, National Assembly, governorship, and House of Assembly elections.

In her Facebook post, she wrote, “They say no man can play God”

“I say really? Man can play God. We are all made in God’s image. We are created to play God. So, everyone can play God. o

“However, to think that you are the only one who can play God is a big, fat mistake and an error of judgement.

“So, when playing God, you must be humble, and respectful of everyone just like Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. You must stoop to conquer.

“To play God with arrogance and bravado is a recipe for disaster and failure. That’s how it works.

“It is guided by the law of sowing and reaping. We reap what we sow.”