BEVERLY HILLS, November 13, (THEWILL) – The Executive Council of the Edo State Chapter of the All Progressives
Congress (APC) has ratified the suspension of the National Chairman of
the party, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, from the party in the state.
The decision was reached at an enlarged meeting of the council and other
party chieftains with the state governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, in Benin
City, on Wednesday, November 13, 2019.
At the meeting, the leaders said the suspension of Comrade Oshiomhole
became necessary because the national chairman has been deploying
divisive tactics to cause disharmony in the party in collaboration with
the proscribed group, Edo Peoples Movement (EPM).
While addressing APC leaders from the 18 Local Government Areas of the
state, the State Chairman of the APC, Anslem Ojezua Esq., traced the
genesis of the crisis to the primary elections in 2018, noting, “All
these started since the party primaries in 2018 when we conducted the
primaries to nominate candidates for the general elections held in 2019.
It appeared that after that elections, Edo APC didn’t know peace again.
“The issues were later aggravated in April and May 2019 which culminated
in the formation of the Edo Peoples Movement (EPM), an infamous group we
proscribed in our last meeting.”
Ojezua said the news of his removal was shocking as the state working
committee which purportedly removed him didn’t have powers to do so,
adding, “Our constitution has a provision to remove officers at the
state level. It is only the State Executive Committee that has the
powers to remove any officer.”
He continued, “Yesterday, 15 chairmen of the APC chapters in the local
councils and 23 out of the 35 members of the State Executive Committee
passed a vote of no confidence on the National Chairman, Comrade Adams
Oshiomhole, while a vote of confidence was passed on my person.”
“The APC Local council chairmen have found out that Adams Oshiomhole is
the one behind the crisis in Edo APC and following the findings, lost
confidence in the leadership of the national chairman by passing a vote
of no confidence on him. Considering the stand of these chairmen and
also based on the report from organs of the party, we affirmed the
suspension of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole from APC in Edo State,” he added.
Ojezua said, “Three local government chairmen of the APC were not in
attendance at the meeting held on Tuesday. They are the chairmen of the
party in Owan West, Etsako West and Etsako Central LGAs. I have letters
informing me of their suspension and in that regard the Vice Chairmen
are to act until those positions are filled.”
Governor Godwin Obaseki said he is not happy with the recent political
developments in the state, especially the disruptions from a
once-trusted leader who has thrown caution to the wind to cause
disaffection among APC members in the state.
The governor said when he first met Oshiomhole 12 years ago, they shared
a common interest in salvaging Edo State but all that has changed in
recent times, noting, “I am not an ungrateful person. No one made me
governor. I became governor by God’s grace, with the support of many
other people. If God had said I would not be governor, no way would I
have been a governor. It is wrong for someone to say he made me
governor.
“No one gave me money. The funds Oshiomhole initially raised for his
governorship ambition was raised by me in Lagos. If I can raise money
for him for his election, why would I not be able to raise money for my
own election.”
The governor said the national chairman was not truthful about comments
on his administration, adding, “If you came into power on some basic
principles, do not expect to change those principles because you have
certain ambition. If you came to power believing no man is God, then the
day you start to play God, you will get the consequences.”
A leader of the APC in Ovia South-West LGA, Hon. Samuel Ekeneza, who
moved the motion for the ratification of the suspension of Comrade
Oshiomhole, said that the party remains supreme as no individual is
bigger than the political party.
The motion for the ratification was supported by a leader of the APC in
Esan Central LGA, Mr Osediamen Oriaifoh.
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