Former media aide to President Muhammadu Buhari and Chairman of the governing board of Niger Delta Development Commission, Mrs Lauretta Onochie has been suspended from the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.
Her suspension followed allegation that she worked for the Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar in the just concluded general election.
Onochie’s anti-party activities came to fore in her Onicha-Olona Ward 4 of Delta State.
In a suspension letter addressed to the state chairman of the APC, the ward executives said they thoroughly investigated Onochie and found that she engaged in activities that were detrimental to the party’s interests during the 2023 campaign and election season.
Onochie’s suspension letter was endorsed by 27 members of the ward committee in Aniocha North Local Government Area, including the chairman, Ogbolu Peter Nduka; vice chairman, Osemeke Mokwunye; and ward secretary, Justina Amagor Akaeze, amongst others.
The ward executives superficially accused Onochie of working for the Governor Ifeanyi Okowa-led Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Delta which won the March 18 governorship election in the state. Okowa was the running mate of Atiku Abubakar in the February 25 presidential election.
They said NDDC chairman’s action is a clear violation of the party’s constitution, which frowns at anti-party activities hence her suspension “with immediate effect”.
“We have painstakingly reviewed the conduct of the just concluded general elections at all levels and have noted, with dismay, that Lauretta Onochie, who is one of the leaders of our great party, worked against the success of the party in Onicha-Olona Ward 4, and beyond,” read the letter dated March 20.
“Information available to us show very clearly that she was openly cmapigning for the candidates of opposition parties, especially the Peoples Democratic Party, in the run-up to the Presidential and National Assembly, as well as the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly Election. It was also observed that all her allies and supporters were working for the PDP in the state.
“The evidence of this could be seen in the fact that the party lost in her polling unit (Unit 8, Ward 4) in the Presidential, Senatorial, House of Representatives, Governorship and State Assembly Elections.
“We also note that she has failed to fulfill her financial obligations to the party and has never attended any Ward and LGA meetings or other party engagements.
“In the light of the grievous infractions discovered in her as stated in Article 21,2 (I) (II), we have lost confidence in her membership of the party and hereby suspend her from the party with immediate effect.”
Nigeria’s Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege, who contested the Delta governorship election on the APC platform, had lost by a wide margin to Sheriff Oborevwori, incumbent Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared that Oborevwori polled a total of 360, 234 votes to beat Omo-Agege who scored 240, 229.
