By Emma Amaize, Regional Editor, South-South

ASABA—THE All Progressives Congress, APC, determined to control no fewer than three of the six states of the South-South geo-political zone from 2019, has moved to capture Delta State.

Oshiomhole

At present, APC controls only Edo State, which is Oshiomhole’s home state in the South-South, but with the recent successful entry of ex-Senate Minority Leader and former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Obong Godswill Akpabio, to the APC, the party’s strategists believe that it was time to go for Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan, former governor of Delta State,  with equal dexterity.

In Delta State, Oshiomhole had already directed the state chairman of the party, Prophet Jones Erue to reconcile the warring parties in the state and present a harmonized front for the 2019 elections.

The party leadership, it was learned,  had already met with principal figures in the other camp,  especially Olorgoun O’tega Emerhor and other leaders in line with the directive of Oshiomhole.

“Already, Senator Akpabio, who installed the current governor of Akwa Ibom State, Udom Emmanuel had been given marching orders by Oshiomhole  to do all it will take for the APC to take over Akwa Ibom in 2019. He will be given all the required support from the centre and that is why you see that Akpabio has remained in the state to put things in place.

“With Governor Godwin Obaseki’s performance in Edo State and the fact that Oshiomhole is from there, APC has no problem in Edo,” a source said.

It was further gathered that because of the volatile nature of Rivers politics and powerful nature of Governor Nyesom Wike, the APC strategists want Senator Magnus Abe, who is pulling his strength under the new arrangement and Minister of Transportation, Mr  Chibuike Amaechi to reconcile their differences and join forces to outwit Wike.

Our findings, however, showed that Senator Abe is the main arrowhead of the plan by APC to snatch Rivers from PDP.

Bayelsa State is not in contention in 2019 as Governor Seriake Dickson’s second tenure will expire in 2020, but the party has not yielded Cross River State to PDP,  despite the fact that that Governor Ben Ayade and his forces think the state is secure for them.

Ntufam Hilliard Eta, the National Vice Chairman, South -South, who recently boasted that President Muhammadu Buhari would win South-South in the 2019 elections, could not be reached for comments.