BY EMMA AMAIZE

WARRI—LEADERS of All Progressives Congress, APC, in Delta Central senatorial district, Delta State, yesterday, faulted the National Vice Chairman of the party, Chief Tom Ikimi, who challenged the adoption of Olorogun Festus Keyamo, as the party’s candidate for the forthcoming senatorial bye-election.

The leaders, among them, Chief Victor Sota, former ACN chieftain in Ethiope East; Igubor Johnson, former ANPP, Okpe; Andrew Agoyo, former CPC chair, Ughelli South and others, in a resolution, insisted that their choice of Keyamo was “unequivocal.”

Chief Ikimi had refuted the purported adoption of Keyamo by APC, saying “For the avoidance of doubt and the benefit of Nigerians, the said reports and publications are neither true nor authorised. They should, therefore, be disregarded completely.”

However, APC stakeholders in Delta Central maintained, “We see nothing wrong in giving our support to one aspirant over another. We are not saying this is the final outcome of party primaries or selection process, but an internal political choice.”

They said that the choice of who emerges as APC candidate in the district was strictly a Delta Central affair, adding “we, as leaders of the party that gave birth to APC are major stakeholders in this zone and do not expect imposition from any other zone.”

“We totally disagree with the statements of Chief Ikimi that APC is a brand new party without members. We unequivocally state that the registered members of the legacy party, namely ACN, ANPP and CPC are automatic foundation members of APC. This is a merger of existing parties and not a new party.

“We shall not accept any ambush of our beloved party from any individual or groups under any guise. We shall not accept the cash-and-carry option of selecting candidates as it has seriously worked against the electoral fortunes of opposition parties in Delta state.”