By Aghogho Arotomah

The article, by Godwin Anaughe on January 8, 2017, was interesting, but bemusing!

In the article, Mr Anaughe positioned himself as an APC patriot, distressed by the infighting in Delta APC, a party man who is desirous of APC forging a common front to dislodge PDP and win the governorship in Delta State in 2019. Yet in the piece, you find a partial, self-conceited individual who is out to drive a divisive agenda!

But then, who is Godwin Anaughe? The name rings no bell in Delta APC! Since the inception of Delta APC in July 2013, this is the first appearance of Anaughe! Godwin Anaughe is either a new entrant in the party among those recently admitted and registered in August 2016 from either Light of Labour, Accord Party, SDP or PDP or is a mischievous non-APC member trying to play the smart alec!

Here is the gospel, according to Anaughe: APC failed and was woefully drubbed in the governorship election of 2015, winning not a single local government area! Meanwhile, the Labour won 4 LGAs! This happened because APC had leadership issues and have no political base unlike the Labour Party that had strong leadership base.

Now, the super Labour Party with its winning streak, led by Chief Great Ogboru has magnanimously and graciously agreed to join forces with APC, yet the leaderless, rudderless, no political-base APC is failing to collapse its rickety structure to allow the superior Labour Party structure take over and lead the new APC to the promised land!

To finally nail the case, he resorts to call the dog enough bad names to make its hanging a celebrated acceptability. So here we go: Delta APC Exco is after all “illegal”, having been sacked by an Asaba High Court. Worse, the party is bedeviled by factions. Olorogun O’tega Emerhor/Prophet Jones faction; late Senator Okpozo faction; Adolo Okotie-Eboh faction.

Even the new joiners, Chief Great Ogboru’s Light of Labour is a faction and Hon. Victor Ochei/Chief Ayiri Emami, also head a PDP faction. Ingenious! Moreover, the Prophet Jones Erue Exco is not only “illegal” it is also unrepresentative of all the factions! So, why would such a fractious party resist the attempt to harmonise and restructure it?

Yet, Anaughe complains that new comers, who he claims are now in the majority, have not been welcomed with enough open hands, nor given enough sense of belonging. And, “All efforts to reorganise the party have been thwarted …” When Anaughe and his super joiners came through the Prophet Jones Exco for admission and registration and were dancing the victory dance in APC headquarters in Abuja, they were well aware of the existing disgruntled Okpozo and Adolo tendencies, yet they did not consider the Exco either “illegal” nor a faction at that point.

Then, as soon as their “efforts to reorganise the Prophet Jones Exco was thwarted” the Exco became illegal and a faction. Honestly, how on earth do you brand an Exco that admitted and registered you into a party “illegal”?

The truth is that the purported crisis and disunity in the Delta APC is contrived. It is a deliberate and vigorous strategy being pursued by Anaughe and his brand of new joiners! The objective is to portray a house in disarray which should be dismantled to provide the super joiners the opportunity to rebuild and take control. The Anaughes and co. actually resort to pep up and sponsor the so-called dissenting groups to make the factions de facto!

Then they proceed to inaugurate their own factions to truly complicate and muddle up the waters! According to Anaughe, “The infighting has nothing to do with growing the party to win, rather, it is a battle for who controls the party structure for personal aggrandizement. And leaving the party in the hands of those who cannot deliver victory but too strong to eliminate in the 2019 primary because of their hold on the party structure could result yet again in another disappointment ….”

The earlier Anaughe and his brand of joiners sheath your swords and accept that Prophet Jones Exco is here to stay till 2018, the earlier it will be to grow the party for the benefit of all. The Hon. Minister, Dr Ibe Kachikwu is not deceived by this antics! He knows the so-called infighting is about individuals like Anaughe who can’t wait for the 2018/2019 primary but want to immediately seize the party structure!

He will not be persuaded by this desperation and call on him to help you reorganise the party for your urgent take over! As you rightly observed, the meeting both by the SGF and the National Chairman of the party were indisposed to award you the early gubernatorial crown you seek. It is time therefore to cut it out and work with the structure you met on ground in the party.

You may also use, if any, your super strength of cunning, to positively bring the Okpozo and Adolo tendencies along for an ultimate united party that will deliver victory to the long suffering Delta populace irrespective of who eventually clinches the gubernatorial ticket of APC in 2019!  .

*Arotomah, an APC member, writes from Delta State