Foundation members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta North Senatorial District have raised concerns over what they described as their growing marginalisation within the party, calling on the National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, to intervene with decisive and inclusive leadership.
The members, operating under the aegis of the Delta North Coalition for Equity, made the call in a communiqué issued at the end of a stakeholders’ meeting held in Asaba, the Delta State capital. They urged the party’s national leadership to institute a transparent harmonisation framework that guarantees equity, fairness and electoral success at all levels.
In a strongly worded resolution, stakeholders unanimously demanded fair and meaningful inclusion of APC foundation members in government appointments at both federal and state levels, including boards, agencies and parastatals. They argued that those who built and sustained the party in its formative years should not be sidelined in the current political arrangement.
The communiqué also appealed to the Governor of Delta State, Elder Sheriff Oborevwori, to integrate old APC members into his political structure through the existing party machinery in the state, rather than allowing parallel or exclusionary arrangements.
In a five-point communiqué signed by the Chairman, Barrister Alex Ikpeazu, and Secretary-General, Hon. Kemmar Emina, the group unequivocally demanded that the position of State APC Chairman be zoned to Delta North in the next dispensation. They maintained that Delta South had previously held the position, while Delta Central, which currently occupies it, is nearing the end of its tenure.
According to the stakeholders, zoning the chairmanship to Delta North is a matter of equity, fairness and balanced representation within the party’s state structure.
The group further called for the development of a sustainable party architecture anchored on unity, inclusiveness and collective ownership. Such a framework, they said, must accommodate former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members who recently joined the APC, alongside existing party structures and founding members.
Another key demand was the formal involvement of Delta North APC leadership in the ongoing coalition and harmonisation process, including negotiations, consultations, appointments and party restructuring efforts, to ensure that the interests of the senatorial district are adequately represented.
Several stakeholders, who spoke both publicly and privately at the meeting, warned that urgent steps were needed to “save the soul of the APC” ahead of future elections. They lamented that founding members had gradually lost their voice in the party’s affairs in Delta State.
One stakeholder said: “Old members of the APC are no longer recognised. Meetings are called without us, and there is no clear structure for our participation. We are demanding recognition, inclusion and fairness.”
Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Dr Christopher Okoba described the situation as unacceptable, likening it to landlords being displaced by tenants.
“When you come into my house, you must recognise that I own the house,” he said. “You cannot come into my house and turn me into a tenant. We were assured that landlords cannot be overtaken by tenants, and we stand by that.”
Dr Okoba stressed that the group was not interested in trading blame between old and new members but was focused on correcting what it described as a defect within the party, in the interest of unity, fairness and a stronger APC in Delta State.