Lauretta Onochie, a former media assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari and Chairman of the Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), has been banned by the APC leadership in Delta’s Onicha-Olona Ward 4.
A motion written by Ogbolu Peter Nduka and Justina Amagor Akaeze, Chairman and Secretary of the Ward Committee in Aniocha North Local Government Area, and 25 other members of the ward committee, charged the Chairman of the NDDC Board of supposed anti-party actions.
The message, dated March 20, 2023, and written directly to the Chairman of the APC Delta State branch, charged Lauretta Onochie of working for Sheriff Oborevwori, the People’s Democratic Party’s nominee for Governor.
The Ward Executive stated that the NDDC chairman’s actions were in violation of the APC constitution, which forbids anti-party activities.
“We have painstakingly reviewed the conduct of the recently concluded general elections at all levels and have noted, with dismay, that Lauretta Onochie, one of our great party’s leaders, worked against the party’s success in Onicha-Olona Ward 4, and beyond,” the letter says in part.
“Information available to us clearly shows that she was openly campaigning for opposition party candidates, particularly the Peoples Democratic Party, in the run-up to the Presidential and National Assembly elections, as well as the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections.” It was also discovered that all of her friends and partners were working for the PDP in the state.
“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 was evidence of this.”
“We also note that she has not met her financial obligations to the party and has not attended any Ward or LGA meetings or other party engagements.”
“In light of the grave infractions discovered in her, as stated in Article 21,2 (I) (II), we have lost faith in her membership in the party and hereby suspend her with immediate effect.”
