The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta State has strongly refuted a report published by The Guardian newspaper alleging that violence erupted during the party’s Delta Central Senatorial District stakeholders’ meeting held on Sunday at the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI) Conference Centre, Effurun.
In a statement signed by the Delta State APC Publicity Secretary, Valentine Onojeghuo, on Monday, the party described the publication credited to Monday Osayende titled “Violence Rocks Delta APC Leaders’ Meeting” as “false, malicious, misleading and sensational,” insisting that the meeting was peaceful from start to finish.
According to the party, the stakeholders’ meeting was well attended by party leaders and members, was broadcast live by Arise TV and TVC News, and ended without any disruption.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the meeting was successfully convened, well attended by party leaders and stakeholders, broadcast live on television by Arise TV and TVC News and concluded peacefully without any incidents of violence, disruption, or the imaginary scenes of panic and disorder painted by the reporter,” the statement said.
The APC maintained that the video referenced in the report did not originate from the conference hall where the meeting took place, but from a different location within the expansive PTI premises.
“The deliberate or negligent attempt to associate those unrelated scenes with the APC stakeholders’ meeting is misleading, irresponsible and falls far short of the ethical standards expected of a reputable media organization,” Onojeghuo stated.
The party also faulted the report’s suggestion that there are rival factions within the Delta State APC, describing the claim as baseless and contrary to the reality of the party’s structure.
According to the statement, the APC has only one duly recognized State Executive Committee under the chairmanship of Chief Solomon Arenyeka, JP, which was produced through the party’s congresses and ratified at the National Convention.
The APC further accused The Guardian of poor fact-checking after the report identified Mr. Sylvester Imonina as the party’s State Publicity Secretary.
“Mr. Imonina ceased to occupy that office in 2023. Since then, I have served as the duly appointed and recognized State Publicity Secretary of the Delta State APC,” Onojeghuo said, adding that the error called into question the credibility of the entire report.
The party expressed disappointment that a newspaper of The Guardian’s reputation would publish what it described as an unverified and poorly researched story.
It stressed that while it supports press freedom, journalists must uphold the principles of accuracy, fairness and verification.
The APC consequently demanded that The Guardian retract the publication and issue an “unequivocal and unreserved apology” to the Delta State chapter of the party within seven days.
“Failure to comply with this demand will leave us with no other option than to instruct our legal team to pursue all appropriate legal remedies available under the law to protect its reputation against this defamatory publication,” the statement warned.
The party reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening internal cohesion and supporting the administration of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, while urging the public to disregard what it described as a fabricated report intended to mislead the public and create a false impression of disunity within the party.
