A faction of Edo state All Progressives Congress, APC, under the aegis of Edo People’s Movement, EPM, has accused the Edo State Government of allegedly sponsoring campaign of calumny against the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Adams Oshiomhole.
They described the action as a sign of ingratitude, adding, however, that genuine members of the APC in the state will resist any attempt to “use Edo state as a safe haven for those who are against the reforms being carried out by Comrade Oshiomhole in the APC, for their mischievous operation”.
The faction was reacting to a press statement by another faction in the APC, Edo APC Coalition for Progress, which called on the national chairman to resign his position as earlier advised by his deputy, Senator Lawal Shauibu.
However, addressing journalists in Benin City yesterday, convener of Edo People’s Movement and former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Edo State, Barr. Henry Idahagbon, who described the call for Oshiomhole’s resignation as arrant nonsense alleged that the state government was funding rebellion against Oshiomhole due to the fear that the governor may not have a second term haven alienated himself from the leaders of the party.
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According to him, “calling for Oshiomhole’s resignation is laughable because genuine APC members across the nation knew how the Oshiomhole led NWC inherited a broken party. And if not for the wisdom of the chairman of this great party, the party would have gone into flames before the 2019 general election. Even though we would not have loved to respond to allegations made by this unknown group in the Edo APC that is being sponsored by Governor Obaseki, we will like to enlighten them better so that they will not continue to wallow in ignorance.
“The crisis witnessed in the party in Rivers and Imo State arose from the congresses held by the John Odigie-Oyegun led NWC. The congresses held by that NWC witnessed the crisis in almost all the states which led to the defection of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara to the PDP. That was how most of our National Assembly members moved to the PDP and of course, we eventually lost Benue and Sokoto. These were because the then NWC made the governor’s emperors isolating a large section of party leaders in these states.”
