“Near-War or Near Fiction?” Delta APC Mocks Ogharefe Chiefs Over Ethiope West Congress Drama

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta State has fired a scathing and sarcastic rebuttal at the Ogharefe Council of Chiefs and Elders (Oguedion R’Ogharefe), dismissing the council’s alarm over the Ethiope West Local Government Congress as exaggerated political theatre.

In a strongly worded statement on Monday, the party ridiculed the council’s description of the February 21 exercise as a “near-war situation,” insisting the congress was peaceful, orderly, and fully compliant with party guidelines.

“Political Fiction,” APC Fires Back
Signed by State Publicity Secretary, Valentine Onojeghuo Esq., the APC said the narrative pushed by the traditional body belongs more in the realm of fiction than factual reporting.

The party stressed that officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) monitored the congress and raised no red flags of violence or disorder.

According to the APC, attempts to paint routine accreditation procedures as exclusion or chaos amount to what it called “reckless exaggeration designed to manufacture panic.”

Venue Choice Sparks the Drama
At the heart of the dispute is the party’s decision to hold the congress at Ovade Community in Oghara, a move the APC stressed was purely administrative.
Party officials maintained that, as a constitutionally recognized political party, it retains the exclusive right to determine the venue and structure of its internal processes.

“Internal party congresses are not town hall meetings subject to external approval,” the statement emphasized, in what observers describe as a pointed swipe at the council.

APC Warns Traditional Body Against Partisan Drift
In perhaps its sharpest jab, the Delta APC suggested the tone and timing of the council’s statement carried what it termed an “unmistakable partisan undertone.”
The party warned that traditional institutions risk eroding their moral authority if they allow themselves to be dragged into partisan battles, hinting that external influence may be at play.

It also faulted the council for bypassing the party’s dispute resolution channels in favour of what it described as public dramatization.

Party Says: No Crisis Here
Reaffirming its stance, the Delta APC insisted there was no violence, no organized attack, and no breakdown of law and order during the Ethiope West exercise.

The party urged residents and political observers to “see through the attempt to manufacture crisis where none exists,” maintaining that its grassroots structures remain united and disciplined.
It concluded by restating its commitment to internal democracy, rule of law, and peaceful political engagement under its “Renewed Hope for M.O.R.E. Agenda.”