Okowa, Delta deputy gov absent as Nwoko hosts APC meeting

The immediate-past Governor of Delta State, Ifeanyi Okowa, Deputy Governor, Monday Onyeme, and former member of the House of Representatives, Mr Ndudi Elumelu, among other leaders, were absent at the All Progressives Congress leaders and stakeholders’ meeting held at Senator Ned Nwoko’s house on Saturday.

The meeting, which was hosted by the senator representing Delta North Senatorial District at his country home, Idumuje Ugboko, in Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State, resolved to work for stronger unity of the party ahead of the 2027 general election.

A few weeks ago, when the meeting was fixed, Onyeme, who claimed to be the APC leader in Delta North Senatorial District, according to the party constitution, had queried the rationale behind fixing the APC meeting in Nwoko’s house.

There have been leadership issues between Okowa/Onyeme and Nwoko right from the PDP and now to the APC.

However, Nwoko went ahead with the meeting, and both Okowa and Onyeme, alongside Elumelu and others, shunned the meeting.

At the meeting, stakeholders comprising APC chieftains, leaders, elders, youths, members and party supporters in the senatorial district reaffirmed the commitment towards the realisation of the creation of Anioma State from the present Delta State.

Addressing the event, Nwoko said a technical committee would be inaugurated in Asaba to work towards actualising the creation of Anioma State.

He said, “We are on course. The technical committee will be inaugurated in Asaba to help me work towards actualising the creation of Anioma State.

“If you were at Agbor during APC stakeholders’ gathering, you heard when the National Chairman of the APC, Umar Ganduje, said the creation of Anioma State is a done deal.

“We have taken all the steps in the Senate. As of today, 75 senators are supporting Anioma State’s creation.

“We have moved from the committee stage of the process to the public hearing coming up in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

“Thereafter, we will come back to the Senate for a third reading of the bill for the creation of Anioma State.”

He said his priority remained the completion of the Ogwashi-Ukwu multipurpose dam and the national grid step-down at Okpai for light.

“I know that when we have light and water, everybody will be happy,” he added.

The Chairman of APC Delta North Senatorial District, Chief Eluaka Adizue, urged those who recently joined the party to register at their various wards along with the ongoing online membership registration.

A former Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Victor Ochei, called for the reconciliation of aggrieved members of the party for stronger unity ahead of the 2027 general election.

“We are not having a party to divide us. We are having a party to unify and unite everybody. We must unite the party, particularly in Delta North,” Ochei said.