Delta APC Denies Violence At Stakeholders’ Meeting, Demands Apology Over Report

The Delta State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has denied reports alleging violence and chaos at its recent Delta Central stakeholders’ meeting in Effurun, describing the claims as false and misleading.

The party also issued a seven-day ultimatum to a national newspaper to retract the report and publish an unreserved apology, warning that it would pursue legal action if the demand is not met.

In a statement issued on Tuesday by the party’s Publicity Secretary, Valentine Onojeghuo, the APC said the stakeholders’ meeting, held on Sunday at the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI) Conference Centre in Effurun, was peaceful and concluded without any disruption.

According to the party, the meeting was attended by party leaders and stakeholders and was broadcast live on Arise Television and TVC News, making its proceedings publicly verifiable.

“The event concluded smoothly without any disruption and was openly televised, making the proceedings available for public verification,” the statement read.

The APC described reports suggesting panic and disorder during the meeting as “a reckless, false and sensational distortion of the actual events.”

The party also rejected claims based on a viral video allegedly linked to the gathering, insisting that the footage was not recorded at the venue where the stakeholders’ meeting took place.

“The video reportedly relied upon by the reporters did not originate from the conference hall where the meeting took place, but from an entirely different location within the expansive PTI complex. It is misleading and irresponsible to associate those unrelated scenes with the APC stakeholders’ meeting,” the statement added.

The party further dismissed reports of leadership disputes and rival factions within its Delta State chapter, maintaining that its executives were duly elected through congresses recognised by the party’s National Working Committee.

It reaffirmed that Solomon Arenyeka remains the recognised chairman of the Delta APC.

The APC also accused the newspaper of factual inaccuracies, noting that it incorrectly identified Sylvester Imonina as the state publicity secretary instead of Valentine Onojeghuo.

“This negligence calls into serious question every other claim contained in the publication,” the party said.

While reaffirming its commitment to press freedom, the APC stressed that journalism must be guided by accuracy, fairness and proper verification rather than speculation.

It warned that if the newspaper fails to retract the report and publish an apology within seven days, it would seek legal redress.