The New Experience Newspapers Online News Indepth, Analysis and More
- They’re professional governorship aspirants, PDP declares
As crisis in Edo State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) lingers, stakeholders have urged Governor Godwin Obaseki to play by the party’s laws and rules.
They made the call at a media briefing in Benin City, noting that it had individually and collectively made efforts to restore sanity to the party, but to no avail.
A former Deputy Governor of the state, Pius Odubu, who read the text of the briefing said, “The more the state inches closer to the forthcoming gubernatorial election, the more the apprehension increases in the state.
Other stakeholders who held the same view are Maj.-Gen Charles Airhiavbere (rtd), former governorship candidate, Christopher Ogiemwonyi, former Minister of State for works and a former governorship candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu.
Some other APC members at the briefing are, Lucky Imasuen, former deputy governor, Henry Idahagbon, a coordinator of the Edo People’s Movement (EPM) and former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, David Iyoha and former Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Omorede Osifo Marshall.
Odubu, who urged party members and supporters to remain committed to the party, assured that they would collectively endeavour to navigate the party through the crisis.
He also assured that the party was committed to ensuring full compliance with the party directives as the forthcoming election fast approaches.
He commended traditional rulers for taking various steps to promote peace and unity in the state, President Muhammadu Buhari and the National Working Committee (NWC) under Comrade Adams Oshiomhole for the various peace initiatives they have instituted.
Besides, a faction of the party dismissed the media briefing organised by members of the EPM, saying their agitations were fueled by greed.
Also discrediting their submissions, Chairman of the Edo APC, Anselm Ojezua, said two of the anchors of the meeting were bugled with severe malfeasance, insisting that Airhiavbere is currently suspended from the party at his local government area, while describing Ize-Iyamu as Oshiomhole’s mercenary of distraction.
Meanwhile, the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said Ize-Iyamu, Odubu, Airhiavbere and Ogiemwonyi are professional governorship aspirants.
In a statement issued by its Publicity Secretary, Chris Nehikhare, it said the four governorship aspirants’ use of “restore peace and unity among Edo people” was condemnable because Edo people were united against their arrogance and impunity.’
He added that it was a feeble attempt for them to sound as statesmen and classified Edo APC issues as the state’s problem, stressing that Edo people were living in peace and that it was APC members that are disunited and living in chaos.