Alleged 5000 APC decampees to PDP at Orogun; lies taken to far – APC Chief, Community leaders

By Ovasa Ogaga & Ara Ezekiel

 

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Ughelli North local government area, Evangelist Felix Ogbajini and Comrade Sunday Umukoro, community youth leader has described the alleged decamping of 5000 APC members to PDP as lies taken too far.

 

The duo stated that against the claims of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa’s media aides that thousands of persons decamped from APC to the People’s Democratic Party, PDP; it was a hired crowd numbering about 50 from the neighbouring communities that were at the purported crossover ceremony and certainly not from Orogun.

 

They maintained that the conflicting figures released by the governor’s media aides and a PDP lawmaker representing the constituency in the State house of Assembly is also a pointer to the fact that what happened at Orogun on Saturday October 14 was simply a ruse.

 

While one of Okowa’s media said there were five thousand APC decampees, another said three thousand. The factual distortions first established the falsehood and propaganda inherent in the claims.

 

ADVOCATE investigations revealed that it was just a handful of Orogun indigenes that were at the event, other persons who came to give the false impression that thousands decamped, were actually Okowa’s followers who followed him all the way from Asaba to Orogun and other PDP members and leaders across the state.

 

Eyewitnesses said people in Orogun could not have trooped out; talk less of decamping to PDP on the faithful day, adding that the number is over bloated, because they may be more 7000 card carrying members of APC in Orogun kingdom.

 

Reacting to the PDP claim, a youth leader in the community, Sunday Umukoro said, “If the cheap propaganda by Okowa’s incompetent media aides was concocted to embarrass our own Senator, the plot was a woeful failure”

 

According to him, on that same day as early as 7 o’clock in the morning, to the pleasant surprise of Omo-Agege, the people of Orogun community made up of three villages, not wanting to associate with Okowa who they heard was heading their way for the said decamping, gathered in Senator Ovie Omo-Agege’s house in solidarity. Men and women, old and young, were all there in thousands from dawn to dusk.

 

Another member of the community, Mr. Onovosa Benjamin who responded to the inquiries of our Correspondent, said the decamping story does not in any way affect the confidence in Senator Omo-Agege.

 

“Obaisi did not even notice them. We were all at the Urhobo House in Ughelli where he once again carried out a highly successful empowerment programme for the people of his constituency. He gave tricycles, sewing machines, and block molding machines.

 

Why would he be worried over the infinitesimal movement of someone who was never a registered member of the APC? Or the coming of the Governor, who the people of Orogun shunned his visit to stand with their own with all joy?”

 

Our reporter who went round Orogun community, at about 5pm, hours after Governor Okowa had gone with his entourage; the people were still singing and dancing at the compound of the Senator.

 

When a dancing youth was asked questions on the purported decamping of 5,000 people, he replied, “Pictures do not lie! You have seen all of us here uptil this moment. Let them show you the pictures of the said Orogun people”.

 

An APC faithful, Evangelist Felix Ogbajini tasked the Governor to invest his time in more ‘fruitful’ ventures other than the “arranged” decamping of some politically spent force, who he described as good riddance to bad rubbish.

 

He stated further that, “Rather than bandying lies, we strongly advise the Okowa’s spin doctors to worry about his battered credibility, clannishness and corrupt leadership of his administration.

 

“Governor Ifeanyi Okowa on his own should in all sincerity be concerned about how to provide Deltans with good governance and delivering the dividends of democracy. Delta state has a lot of challenges especially under him. For example, the issue of the blank 2017 budget is there waiting for him to address.

 

Ogbajini alleged that the present state administration has impoverished Deltans more than ever experienced, in spite of the Governor’s prosperity for all mantra. He said Okowa should be worried that the people are lagging far behind even with the funds that have come into the state within the last two years.

 

“Okowa should take a trip round the state to see the death traps the roads he claimed to have worked on with billions of naira have become, not this dance of shame in Orogun with his sycophants.

 

Has he given a thought to the minds of the people over the sale of Delta Line, stopping of scholarship, WAEC fees, nonpayment of salaries, using of DESOPADEC as a conduit pipe etc? He should if he hasn’t; this is a time for him to reflect on all these”.

 

Meanwhile, Senator Omo-Agege who appeared unperturbed by the story assured the people of Orogun and all Urhobos of Delta Central Senatorial District that he will continue to provide vibrant, effective and result-oriented representation.