The factional state Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Edo State, Joseph Osagiede, has accused the National Chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole of undermining the power of the Oba of Benin.
Osagiede said APC in the state do not have faction, saying that those who left the party went to form Edo Peoples Movement, EPM, and till date which remains an unregistered political association or social association that has no bearing with in the party.
According to him, “I believe that the national chairman will also learn some lessons from what is going because His royal majesty, the Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II to have led Benin Traditional Council to meet with the president on this matter.
“Once the Oba has expressed a wish about anything it becomes a command to we that are Edo people. So, the Oba’s wish is to command that there should be peace in this political imbroglio and for Adams Oshiomhole to still be harbouring these descendants who led the captain and they are forming EPM and he is supporting them, he is working against the wish of the Oba.
“You are all aware that recently the Oba also had a meeting with the Benin Traditional Council announced that we go into prayer and fasting to avert calamity this year, because of the political crisis that is on going.
“Any wise man, any wise leader, any wise political chairman that knows that he is directly responsible for this crisis should take a cue from such statement by the Oba and come home meet with the governor and reconcile with him. We have always said that we are willing and ready for reconciliation but you see you can not be constituting a reconciliation body when you are an interested party in that issue.”
He noted that the All Progressives Congress crisis is already ending because members of EPM are already folding up.
On the issue of who and how will the name of the party candidate to the independent national electoral commission, INEC, he said the chairman does not have any constitutional power to submit names, you go through a process and that process is what we call the congresses.
And if through the primaries any candidate emerges, it is that candidate name that will be submitted by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party.
