The Delta State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has refuted reports alleging that violence and disorder marred its Delta Central stakeholders’ meeting held in Effurun, describing the claims as false and misleading.
The party maintained that the meeting was conducted peacefully and concluded without any disruption.
The APC also handed a seven-day ultimatum to a national newspaper, demanding the retraction of the publication and an unreserved apology.
It described the report as false, malicious, and defamatory, warning that it would pursue legal action if the demand was not met.
The position of the party was contained in a statement issued on Tuesday by its State Publicity Secretary, Valentine Onojeghuo. According to the APC, the stakeholders’ meeting, which took place on Sunday at the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI) Conference Centre in Effurun, was attended by party leaders and stakeholders and was broadcast live on Arise Television and TVC News.
“The event concluded smoothly without any disruption and was openly televised, making the proceedings available for public verification,” the statement said.
Rejecting reports suggesting that panic and chaos erupted during the meeting, the party described such claims as “a reckless, false and sensational distortion of the actual events.”
The APC also faulted a viral video cited in the report, insisting that the footage was not recorded at the venue where the stakeholders’ meeting was held.
“The video reportedly relied upon by the reporters did not originate from the conference hall where the meeting took place, but from an entirely different location within the expansive PTI complex. It is misleading and irresponsible to associate those unrelated scenes with the APC stakeholders’ meeting,” the statement added.
The party further dismissed allegations of internal leadership disputes and the existence of rival factions within its Delta State chapter. It maintained that its current executives emerged through congresses duly recognised by the party’s National Working Committee and affirmed that Solomon Arenyeka remains the duly recognised state chairman.
The APC also accused the newspaper of publishing inaccurate information, pointing out that it incorrectly identified Sylvester Imonina as the current State Publicity Secretary instead of Valentine Onojeghuo.
“This negligence calls into serious question every other claim contained in the publication,” the statement said.
While reaffirming its commitment to press freedom, the party stressed that journalism should be anchored on accuracy, fairness, and proper verification rather than speculation. It warned that if the newspaper failed to retract the report and issue an apology within seven days, it would have no option but to seek legal redress.
