By Paul Olayemi

SAPELE — Senator Ede Dafinone has declared that unity now defines the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Sapele following the party’s Ward 1 Congress, describing the exercise as peaceful, inclusive and free of dissent.

He disclosed that the Ward 1 consensus emerged after extensive consultations among local leaders. Though not physically present at the venue, Dafinone said he received regular updates and urged aggrieved members to resolve concerns through dialogue.

“We have to be one family to win the election. Our primary goal is to deliver Mr. President, our governor, and all other APC positions,” he said.

The Delta Central lawmaker, while applauding the exercise in Ward 1 and across other wards in Sapele Local Government Area, said the outcome reflected broad agreement among party members.

“The results of the consensus of Congress were announced. The House gave a resounding aye. There has been no protest, no dissenting voice,” he stated.

Underscoring what he described as a decisive shift in party cohesion, Dafinone added: “The days of 50-50, 70-30 are gone. We are all one party going forward, staffed by the strongest representatives across all the wards.” He noted that both former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members and longstanding APC members took part in the process.

Dafinone explained that leadership positions in Ward 1 were deliberately distributed across all units to ensure broad representation. “This ensures that come election day, we have our strongest people on the ground ready to win,” he said.

Addressing reports of dissatisfaction in some quarters, the senator attributed the concerns to personal ambitions and irregular participation in party activities. “People who have not been attending meetings for nearly one year, and show up three days before Congress demanding leadership, make it hard to accommodate everyone,” he remarked.

The APC conducted ward congresses across Delta State on Wednesday, with the Ward 1 exercise held at Chude Girls Grammar School, Sapele. Ward leaders and their representatives attended the session.

Party officials say the Sapele process aligns with broader efforts to consolidate grassroots structures across Delta Central’s 85 wards. Residents and party supporters view the outcome as a signal of closer collaboration between established APC members and recent entrants ahead of future elections.

At the end of the exercise, Justice Erikefe Obosievwe emerged as Chairman of Ward 1, with Osiebe Trust as Vice Chairman, Ezealaji Chukwuebuka as Secretary and Igie Kadiri Naomi as Assistant Secretary, completing the new ward leadership expected to coordinate party affairs at the grassroots level.