Oshiomhole’s men reject mobilisation committee

From Osagie Otabor, Bénin

The Edo State All Progressives Congress (APC) faction loyal to National Chairman Comrade Adams Oshiomhole on Sunday rejected the Committee on Membership Mobilisation set up by the Anselm Ojezua-led faction.

Ojezua last week raised the 49-man committee headed by Matthew Iduoriyikemwen to boost membership drive.

But, the Col David Imuse (retd)-led faction said Ojuzua ceased to be Chairman of Edo APC on November 11 when the State Working Committee passed a vote of no confidence in him.

The faction’s spokesman, Chris Azebamwa, said in a statement that Ojezua’s removal was ratified by the National Working Committee.

“For this reason, any action he purports to take as chairman is a nullity and an exercise in futility.

Read Also: Oshiomhole’s needless dog fight with Obaseki

“Simply put, Ojezua is not legally qualified to constitute any committee because he lacks the authority to so do.

“Let me use this opportunity to advise my brother, Governor Godwin Obaseki that he will go through primary to actualise his ambition for a second term. Ojezua has become an albatross and Obaseki should let go of him.

“Ojezua is worth only one vote to him. The governor can find some other ways to compensate Ojezua, but trying to sustain Ojezua’s tenure as State Chairman is counter-productive.”

Azebamwan said his purported removal as State Publicity Secretary of Edo APC portends grave danger to the supremacy of the party as a legal entity.

He said he was elected to the position at a State Congress, and there were constitutional provisions for nullifying his mandate.

“The press statement merely quoted a faceless Edo State APC, without indicating the organ of the party that took the decision, or the grounds on which the faceless characters sought to hinge their illegality.

“For the record, the position of State Publicity Secretary is not an appointment; it is an electoral mandate.

“Therefore, their pronouncement is a nullity and an exercise in futility. Let them test its validity by obtaining its ratification.”

The rival faction’s Assistant Secretary, Ikuenobe Anthony, had said in a statement that Azebamwan was replaced with Rev. Joseph Osagiede in line with Article 17 (v) of the APC Constitution 2014 as amended.