Tension in Delta PDP as factional leader emerges in Ika South LGA
Tension has continued to unsettle the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members in Ika South Local Government of Delta State, following the emergence of a factional group recently inaugurated by the Ali Modu Sheriff-led factional deputy Chairman, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh.
Ojougboh last weekend inaugurated the local government party members, a situation that has left the party members with Governor Ifeanyi Okowa embarrassed.
Since then, the unity among the party members in the area had allegedly split with the aggrieved factional members threatening to ensure that Sheriff-led faction is recognised as the authentic leader of the party.
Sources said Ojougboh and Okowa, had seemingly been ‘far from each other’ after the party convention in Port Harcourt where Ojougboh allegedly lost the vice chairmanship of the party to the candidate of the governor, Mr. Emma Ogidi before the factions emerged.
Since then, the center of peace could no longer hold as Ojougboh insisted that Sheriff faction is the most authentic and should be recognised.
It was reliably gathered that the situation might get worse with the way and manner both factions are currently at daggers drawn and in war of supremacy.
But the party chairman, Delta North, Mr. Moses Iduh, in a swift reaction, warned the leadership and members in Ika South to shun factionalisation and divisive tendencies that were capable of destroying the party.
While urging the members to embrace unity and work as a team in order to take the party to greater heights, Iduh said no faction exist in the PDP family in the state “we are not aware of any faction or members inaugurated by Ojougboh.
“We will not join any issue with anybody but all we know is that PDP is only one in the state.”
He noted that that bickering, factionalisation and pull down syndrome were counterproductive and inimical to the growth of the party “Division among PDP faithful is not healthy, members of our great party should promote peace and togetherness towards the victory of the party in 2019.”
Also speaking, Senior Political Adviser to the governor, Chief Festus Ochonogor called on the party faithful to forget their differences and forge ahead as a family, “we won’t be comfortable if there is problem in Ika South PDP,” he said.
Investigation revealed that apart from Ika South where strong indications are that the party might be heading for the rocks, three other local governments are also warming up for a show down in what the party members described as “faction looming.”
But in a swift reaction, the chairman of the party, Kingsley Esiso said no faction would ever exist in Delta PDP.
According to him, “Any factional inauguration of members in Ika region is illegal. We won’t recognise such illegal activity. PDP in Delta is one party and we will not allow such crisis.”
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