The Executive Council of the Edo State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has given consent to 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, Godwin Obaseki, in Benin City, on Wednesday.
While addressing APC leaders from the 18 Local Government Areas of the state, the State Chairman of the APC, Anslem Ojezua Esq., noted that the whole crisis started during the primary elections in 2018.
His statement read: “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.”
“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.
“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.”
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.
