Orovwuje Urges APC Members In Delta To Accommodate, Synergise With PDP Defectors

Okiemute Okpomor

Members of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) in Delta State have been called upon to accommodate, work in harmony with new members that defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with a view to form a formidable front ahead of the 2027 elections.

This call was made by Archbishop Philip Orovwuje, APC Leader, Ward 4, Ethiope East Local Government Area of Delta State in an interactive session with journalists in Effurun, he said that with the defection of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and all Peoples Democratic Party members, the Governor remains the leader of the APC in the State just as President Bola Tinubu remains the Leader of the APC in the country.

Archbishop Orovwuje said that it is the Governor that controls the affairs of the State as far as the party is concerned, adding that as tradition demands in the party, those of them who defected with him to APC have equal rights and privileges with those who had been in APC for years.

According to Archbishop Orovwuje who is the Presiding Bishop and Founder of Garden of Life Assembly in Effurun, the President has promised that by the end of 2025, all structures in APC would be collapsed as there would be a new Congress and advised them to be patient and wait for the Congress to streamline all the activities as far the party is concerned.

According to Archbishop Orovwuje, “why don’t we wait for the Congress to take place? It is a few months from now.

Many of us who are members of APC to my understanding, would have waited for those who are there now to remain before the Congress takes place”.

He then appealed to members to accommodate and work with the defectors from the PDP for smooth running of the party pending the Congress, adding, “there is no need to struggle for leadership until the Congress is done”.

“The struggle he for leadership among members is uncalled for, rather, it should be thing of joy for those who have been in the APC that PDP members have joined them to make the party more formidable.

“Those who defected too should be patient so that it would not like they(defectors) have come to take the party over from those who have been in ground in the APC.”

He then called on existing members of APC to remain calm, focused and have a meeting with Governor Oborevwori to select those to be at the helms of affairs and work in coordinated synergy with those who defected to the party and wait for the Congress which is not far away from now.

The APC Ward 4 Leader in Ethiope East Local Government Area spoke further, “we should see the Governor, who would in collaboration with Leaders to select and put in place the Chairmen of Wards and chairmen of the party in the local government areas.”

On the cry of persistent economic down turn in the country, Archbishop Orovwuje gave the President Bola Tinubu’s administration a pass mark.

He asserted that the President Tinubu’s administration is the best since inception of democracy in 1999 as he has been working round the clock to ensure things work out well for Nigerians.

“According many Nigerians forget in hurry that the reforms which the President has initiated would take some time before Nigerians will start reaping the dividends.”; he added.

He said just as Governor Oborevwori of Delta State is doing well, so also, President Tinubu is doing well at Federal level and advised Nigerians to be patient and support the government to succeed.

On the looming crisis in Warri as a result of Ward delineation in Warri Federal Constituency, Archbishop Orovwuje was of the opinion that the crisis is uncalled for.

According to him, “the three tribes of Urhobo, Itsekiri and Ijaw are one as they have intermarried and the injury to one is injury to oneself.

Those who originally owned the land are all dead as there was no need to fight for what is ephemeral.

The masterminds of crisis should not forget in hurry the effects of 1999 crisis in the city of Warri that made many oil companies to relocate to places like Port Harcourt- which is affecting the city till date.

“Let us coexist, the 1999 crisis did not favour anybody. That is what destroyed the whole of Warri. Oil companies relocated , today who is suffering it?, It is we. Before now, Warri was booming, we had Shell, Chevron, Texaco, Julius Beggar, where are they today? The price of crisis is very high, to destroy is easy but to build is very difficult”.