A scheduled enlarged stakeholder meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta State has taken another dimension as the party’s State Eecutive Committee has announced restrictions on the use of mobile phones during the meeting.
The party cited security reasons for the restriction on the use of mobile phones during the meeting slated for this Sunday at the Banquet Hall of the Delta State Government House, Asaba.
A statement issued by the State Publicity Secretary of APC, Valentine Onojeghuo, said:
“All invited guests are required to leave their mobile phones in their vehicles before proceeding for accreditation. This directive is strictly for security purposes and must be complied with.”
Onojeghuo, in the statement, also disclosed that the invited leaders for the meeting would be screened and accredited at the gate of the Government House before being conveyed to the meeting venue by waiting buses.
The statement read, “Please be informed that accreditation for all invited leaders will take place at the Third Gate of Government House, Asaba.
“Upon successful accreditation, leaders will be conveyed in buses to the Government House Banquet Hall, which is the venue for the Stakeholders Meeting.”
Those expected at the meeting include the state’s party chairman, Elder Omeni Sobotie; former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa; Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Olorogun Festus Keyamo; founding leader of the party, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor; Senator Ede Dafinone; Senator Joel Onowakpo-Thomas; Senator Ned Nwoko; Hon. Francis Waive, Executive Director, NEXIM Bank; Hon. Stella Okotete, and others.
The meeting, expected to be presided by Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, who is the current leader of the party in the state, is the first enlarged stakeholder meeting of the APC since the state governor, Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, and all structures of the state PDP joined the APC some months ago.
Stakeholders were also linking the recent suspension of some APC local government chairmen and exco members, including those of the Ughelli North and Ethiope West local government areas, to a political strategy to stop them from attending the meeting ostensibly over their loyalty to the former deputy Senate President, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege.
There had been a cold war between supporters of Omo-Agege and those of Governor Oborevwori over fear that the former 2023 APC governorship candidate was nursing the same ambition in 2027.
Meanwhile, those who may shun the all-important meeting include Senator Ovie Omo-Agege; the National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Felix Morka; member of House of Representatives, Erhiatake Ibori-Suenu; the chairman of the NDDC Governing Board, Mr. Chiedu Ebie; former Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Hon Monday Igbuya; former deputy governor, Deacon Kingsley Otuaro; former Deputy Speaker, Hon Friday Osanebi among others.
