ASABA/Nigeria: Ward chairmen of the All Progressives Congress in Delta North Senatorial District have called for the immediate suspension of the ongoing ward congress in the district, insisting on a fresh exercise conducted under what they described as a transparent and constitutionally compliant framework.
In a protest letter addressed to the Delta State APC Chairman, Sobotie Omeni, the party leaders urged the state leadership to halt the current process and restart it with a clearly defined structure that fairly allocates positions between longstanding party members and recent entrants into the party.
The chairmen criticised the consensus-based method currently being used, describing it as vindictive and inconsistent with party constitutional provisions. They argued that the approach has sidelined grassroots leaders and weakened internal democracy at the ward level, thereby creating tension within local party structures.
They further alleged that loyal members who worked for the electoral success of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2023 presidential election were being marginalised in the ongoing arrangements, while some individuals who previously belonged to opposition parties and contested elections on rival platforms were allegedly being favoured in the emerging congress structure.
According to the signatories, many of the new entrants appear driven more by political survival than commitment to party ideals, warning that such developments could erode discipline, cohesion and trust within the party at the grassroots level.
The ward chairmen also claimed they were being targeted because of their resistance to internal moves they believe could undermine the president’s expected re-election prospects, stressing that their strategic positions at the grassroots make them critical to safeguarding party interests.
They therefore called on the state leadership to intervene urgently to restore fairness, transparency and due process in the conduct of the ward congresses across the district.
The letter was jointly signed by representatives of ward chairmen from the nine local government areas in Delta North, including Frank Asimoye (Aniocha North), Onwuemene Gabriel (Aniocha South), Pastor Andrew Ehiyem (Ika North East), Nduka Erikume (Ika South), Kenneth Akadidi (Ndokwa East), Ochonogor Benjamin (Ndokwa West), Okocha Patrick (Oshimili South) and Emma Odogwu Chukwuekwu (Oshimili North).
