Utomi, Ogboru emerge Delta APC governorship candidates at parallel contests

The crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta State has deepened as Prof. Pat Utomi and Chief Great Ogboru emerged as governorship candidates for the party at different venues of the primaries in Asaba.

While Ogboru emerged yesterday at the Federal College of Education College (Technical), Asaba, venue of the primaries supervised by Gen. Lawrence Onoja (rtd) with 3,292 votes from a total of 3,515, Utomi was late on Sunday adopted by Chief Cyril Obodo-led faction on consensus at Nerise Hotel venue, also in Asaba, with 2,481 votes.

The Prophet Erue faction’s primaries, which began amid crisis on Sunday, finally started at 2:00 p.m. with accreditation of ward delegates till about 10:00 p.m. when Onoja ordered its stoppage as darkness enveloped the venue. Confusion erupted as the crowd became unruly leading to police teargas that sent all scampering for safety.

The process, however, continued at midnight when Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan came with the support of a Hilux van’s headlamps, before voting proper started at about 1:00 a.m.However, the slow pace of accreditation did not go down well with Ogboru whose intervention ensured that the gate was flung open for easier access to the venue.