APC in tatters as Obaseki, Oshiomhole battle for supremacy in Edo

 

• Governor, Deputy, SSG suspended from APC
• Governors forum warns Oshiomhole, as party passes vote of no confidence

 

BY KAZIE UKO

The war of attrition between the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki and the All Progressives Congress (APC) national chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, has a taken a new dimension with suspension and counter suspension of the hitherto chummy godson and his godfather.

Only yesterday, the APC in Edo State suspended Oshiomhole in what it described as his role in the crisis rocking the state chapter of the party.

And, today, another group of party members said it has suspended the governor, deputy governor and secretary to the state government, from the party.

The decision to suspend the national chairman followed a vote of no confidence passed on him by the chairmen of the APC in the 18 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Edo State.

According to a statement signed by Edo APC chairman, Anselm Ojezua and assistant state secretary, Ikuenobe Anthony, “Consequent on the development, the State Executive Committee has adopted the vote of no confidence passed on him (Oshiomhole) and the subsisting suspension order from the organs of the party in the state.”

They said the decision was necessary to prevent a repeat of what happened in Zamfara State, where the party was unable to field any candidate in elections.

“Comrade Adams Oshiomhole is the one behind the crisis in Edo APC. We have passed a vote of no confidence in him and he stands suspended from the party.

“We don’t want what happened in Zamfara State or other parts of the country to happen in Edo State,” the party’s statement emphasised.

Oshiomhole’s gradual loose of grip on the political handle of Edo State was further compounded by an order by the Progressives Governor’s Forum, a body of governors elected on the APC platform, to convene a NEC meeting of the APC to discuss the myriads of problems challenging the party or resign.

“It is either Comrade Oshiomhole respect the provision of the party constitution and convene superior organ meeting to deliberate on all our challenges, or he should just accept his inability to manage the party and simply resign,” Progressives Governor Forum Director-General Salihu Mohammed Lukman said in a statement issued earlier Wednesday.

“In the current circumstance, nothing short of a NEC or National Caucus meeting of the party can resolve all our increasing organisational challenges as a party,” the statement added.

Meanwhile, in a developing story just out of Edo State, some leaders of the All Progressives Congress APC, obviously loyal to the national chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, said they have suspended the state governor, Godwin Obaseki, his deputy governor, Philip Shuaibu and the Secretary to the state Government, Osarodion Ogie for alleged anti party activities.

The announcement came through a chieftain of the party, in Edo, Mr. Patrick Ikhariale, who stated this while briefing journalists in Benin City.

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