…Elders, Leaders Sack Exco

…Only National Can Dissolve Exco – Emerhor

…I remain the chairman of Delta APC – Erue

…Matter is still in court – Latimore

By Our Correspondent

Factional elders and leaders of the Delta State All Progressives Congress (APC) recently sacked the party executive and  have set up a caretaker committee to pilot the affairs of the party until a substantive executive is put in place by the national leaders of the party.

APC

Olorogun O’tega Emerhor and Senator Spanner Okpozo.

Aleader, Senator Francis Spanner Okpozo together with some elders leaders of the party, made this decision at the residence of Senator Okpozo in Ozoro, Isoko North Local Government Area of the state.The elders and leaders noted that the decision to set up the caretaker committee was arrived at after series of meeting which started in June this year.

Senator Opkozo had earlier in June called for a meeting at his residence where it was agreed that a caretaker committee be put in place to take over from the Prophet Jones Erue led executive after they had passed a vote of no confident on his leadership.

Inaugurating the caretaker committee, Senator Okpozo said the elders and leaders committee decided to take the action after the present executive was sacked by a High Court in Asaba few monthes ago, adding that they could no longer watch and fold their arms while the party goes into irrelevance in Delta State.

Senator Opkozo said, “We have resolved that the State APC is not moving ahead as it is supposed to. So we have to make a change and that change has led us to take this resolution. We all know that the Party is not moving because there is a court Judgment that had sacked the present executive.

“We have waited to hear from executive concerning the Judgment of the High court but they have not responded. We have communicated to National headquarter of the Party but no respond till date. So the Delta State APC Elders and Leaders committee felt disappointed.

“If you look at the Party in the state today, nothing is happening, no message from the executives, and no appointment. The party secretariat has been overtaken by wild grass. The LGAs are not functioning so we said it was high time we took action. Delta state is our state and it is in your hand. We are taking this decision to favor all of us.”

Hon. Nathaniel Omo-Onyeka was chosen as the Chairman of the Delta State APC caretaker committee, while Barrister Dennis Nwanokwai is the Secretary.

Present at the inauguration of the caretaker committee were Dr. Mrs. Veronica Ogbuagu, Engr. Hyacinth Enuha, Dr. Alex Ideh and some APC faithful all supported the resolution taken by the elders and leaders committee.

Surv. P. E. Akarogbe (mnis) APC leader, on behalf of Deltan APC thanked everyone and urged members of the party to support the leadership of Senator Okpozo and the Delta APC Elders and leaders committee.

But reacting to the sack of the Delta State APC executive led by Prophet Jones Erue, the state APC leader, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor said,  “Only national can dissolve the State Exco and put in another. Okpozo’s group is laboring in vain and futility! The party Exco remains intact and in place. “

Also, Dr. Fred Latimore, the Director of Media and Political Communication to the leader of the Delta APC, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, told our our correspondent on telephone that the APC elders and leaders do not have the powers to sack the executive of the party.

Dr. Latimore said the action of the elders and leaders was against the constition of the party, and that it was a criminal offence for them to disobey  court order. He noted that the Delta State APC leadership crisis was before a High Court of Appeal where a stay of execution of order has been given by the court.

“The matter as we are talking today is still in court. It is true that a high court in Asaba sacked the Prophet Jones Erue led executive but Jones has appealed the matter at the court of appeal. The court has ordered a stay of execution on the matter, so anybody who goes and set up a committee is running against the constitution of Nigeria.

“APC does not recognize any so called elders and leaders in the party that have the power to sack an existing executive. So this committee is a kangaroo committee and no APC member should listen to them.

“What Senator Opkozo should have done was to take the matter to the national body who will appeal to Erue to withdraw the matter from the court and they will sit together and think of a way forward,” Latimore said.

In his reaction, the embattled state chairman of the All Progressives Congress in Delta State, Mr Jones Erue, said he remained the chairman of the party, stressing that the setting up of a caretaker committee to run the affairs of the party in the state was illegal.

Mr. Erue, said that the Senator Okpozo’s led faction had no legal standing to dissolve a committee that was elected by delegates at a congress held in Asaba, the state capital.