Delta APC Crisis: Deputy Senate President, Emerhor sue for peace 

The Deputy President of the Nigerian Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege and the Founding leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta State, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, have sued for peace and unity in the party, maintaining that it was time to end the divisions in the party in the state.

Both leaders made the declaration during a visit by Senator Ovie Omo-Agege to the founding leader of the APC in Delta State, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, at his Evwreni country-home, Ughelli North Local Government Area of the state.

Omo-Agege, who was accompanied by the member representing Ughelli North/ Ughelli South/Udu Federal Constituency, Revd Francis Waive and others, said the visit was a brotherly one, adding that it was part of the effort towards ending the rift between leaders of the party in the state.

While blaming the poor performance of the party in the 2019 general elections on the division within leaders of the APC in the state, he said;

“This is a brotherly visit. This is not the first time we are meeting. We have met severally at his residence in Abuja. Before the commencement of our revalidation exercise, I had planned to visit him to say hello. It was not just to say hello but to reiterate to him based on the discussions we have had. It’s time we bring everybody together.

 “As both of us we say, Delta State is ripe for the taking. We have also said that can only happen if all of us are on the same page. Come to think of it, what are we fighting for? At the end of the day, we are brothers first before we became members of APC. Party will come and go but the Urhobo people will remain Urhobo. Delta State will remain Delta State.

 “As from today, we should all know that we are one. The party is not just about Olorogun Emerhor and myself, we still have other leaders. In politics, we drag who gets what, but while doing that, we must do it with civility. We must do it with humanity. We must not play it in a way that it becomes almost impossible to reconcile yourselves at the end of the exercise.

“All we want is that Delta State is delivered to APC. Let’s reach out to other leaders of the party and those who align and support them and their aspirations. I will work with everyone to ensure that APC wins future elections in the state through unity”.

Also in his remarks, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, who was the 2015 governorship candidate of the party in the State, said the Omo-Agege’s visit to his house was historic, insisting that it was time for leaders and members of the party from across the state to embrace peace and unite in the interest of the party.

Emerhor said the only reason the opposition had not been able to wrestle power from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in the state was as a result of the disunity and division among opposition leaders in the state.

He said “being the Founding leader and having contested a number of elections in the state, I know this for a fact. And this why I have continued to send out messages of unity in recent times.

 “So, I believe that unity is our only winning formula against the PDP in the next election. Divided we fall, united, we stand. That is why I have continued to preach peace and I am happy that that is what Senator Omo-Agege has come to demonstrate here today, by putting aside any differences we may have had.

While affirming Omo-Agege as the undisputed leader of APC who must take the responsibility to unite the party in the state, Emerhor identified disunity, division and leadership deficits as some of the factors mitigating against the success of the party in the state.

“However, leadership comes with responsibilities and challenges. When you are king, you must bring your people together, and that is my challenge to our leader, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege. You must do more, you must not give up. You must reach out to the other leaders, Chief Great Ogboru,  Festus Keyamo and others and bring everyone together. In that quest, I will continue to support you to ensure that all the leaders of the party come together.

 “The era where two leaders will gang up against others and create faction in Delta APC is over. Let it be known that I am not ganging up with the Senator, but supporting him to ensure that peace and unity reign in Delta APC”. Emerhor said.

Zainab Sa’id