No going back on gov election petition in Delta

The Delta State Chapter of the Social Democratic Party has declared that “there is no going back on the gubernatorial election petition filed by the party’s governorship candidate in the state, Chief Kenneth Gbagi, before the State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal”.

This was contained in a three-point resolution adopted by the SDP newly-inaugurated 12-member Caretaker Committee in Delta State, headed by Mrs Esther Ikule, at the end of the committee’s inaugural meeting held on Saturday at the party’s Delta Central Secretariat along Warri-Sapele Road.

In the resolution jointly signed by Mrs Ikule and Mr Enebraye Kembigha, the Chairman and Secretary respectively, the Caretaker Committee passed a vote of confidence on the party’s governorship candidate in Delta State, Chief Kenneth Gbagi, assuring that the committee will continue to support Gbagi in the pursuit of his mandate at the Governorship Election Tribunal until justice is dispensed in the matter.

The resolution read partly, “At no time did the SDP executive in Delta State before it was dissolved by the NWC on May 2, 2023, met, discuss, and agreed to write a letter dissociating the SDP in Delta with the election petition filed by Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi.”

“Therefore, any purported letter signed by the former Chairman, Mr Oke Idawene, is not authorised. It is fake, it is null and void and of no effect whatsoever.”

The Delta SDP Caretaker Committee expressed appreciation to the party’s National Chairman, Alhaji Shehu Musa Gabam, and the NWC “for the excellent leadership, direction and support in steering the Delta State Chapter of the party to overcome the current challenges.”

Earlier while addressing the newly inaugurated SDP Delta 12-member Caretaker Committee, the party’s National Vice Chairman, South-South, Fred Owotorufa, had charged the Committee to “re-organise and re-position the party in the State and also recruit fresh members, especially youths, in all Wards and Local Governments across the state.”

The inauguration, according to the National Working Committee Vice Chairman, was consequent to the dissolution last Tuesday of the party’s Executive in Delta State led by Mr Oke Idawene “following its inability to resolve the protracted crisis within the party in the state.”

Owotorufa disclosed that the Caretaker Committee has been given 90 days within which to conclude its assignment at the end of which the party’s State Congress shall be conducted to elect a new Executive Council, in accordance with the SDP Constitution and Electoral Act 2022.

He noted that the selection of the new Caretaker Committee members by the NWC was based on their “broad experience, competence, character and good team spirit”.

He charged the caretaker committee members to work as a team “to plant the party positively in the consciousness of Delta State and Nigerians.”

He also exhorted the committee members that there must be no factions in their activities adding that they should always resolve issues by consensus and stay the course.

“Party interest must be supreme. Loyalty to the Party and the Governorship Candidate/Leader must be uppermost. Eschew bitterness at all times. Do not work in isolation or at cross-purposes. Avoid undercutting one another. Together, you should strive to grow the party and also, grow with the party,” he stated.

Owotorufa enjoined the Caretaker Committee members to “embark on aggressive membership recruitment into the party, especially youth and women,” saying that this must be daily, and continuous.

“It must be at all levels of the Unit, Ward, LGA and the state. Come to every nook and cranny – the marketplaces, schools, buses, eateries, workplaces, business environments, the church and mosque,” he emphasised.