16th December, 2019
By Jethro lbileke
Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Edo State chapter, Anselm Ojezua, has said the suspension the national chairman of the party, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, is based on President Muhammadu Buhari’s admonition that any member who is not relevant in his ward, local government area and state cannot hold office at the national level.
Ojezua who stated this on Monday, while addressing a world press conference at the party secretariat in Benin, traced the genesis of the crisis rocking the party to the conduct of primaries ahead of the last general elections, where Oshiomhole unilaterally and arbitrarily cancelled the primaries conducted by the leadership of the party in the state.
He stated that had the Edo APC not complied with the directive to conduct fresh primaries, Edo would have been exposed to what befell Zamfara and other states.
He further alleged that events had shown that there had been a grand plan to falsely create the impression of a crisis of leadership within the party in the state.
Ojezua said the plans were hatched and executed under the directive of Oshiomhole and executed through his acclaimed ‘infantry division’.
He said the Edo APC had concluded that Oshiomhole lacked the capacity, temperament and moral authority to lead the APC as National Chairman.
Ojezua insisted that any action taken by Oshiomhole in the capacity of National Chairman, including documents signed and meetings presided over by him might be futile as his membership was already compromised.
“In any case, having been placed on suspension as member of the party, he has lost the legitimacy to act in any capacity in the party.
“We draw particular attention to Article 21 of the APC constitution which relates to discipline of party members and the powers of respective organs of the party to take disciplinary actions against members.
“In the circumstances, any action taken in the capacity of National Chairman including documents he signs and meetings he presides over May well be futile as his membership is already compromised.
“We are guided by the admonition of President Buhari who has consistently maintained that we must live up to the tenets and provisions of the constitution of the APC.
“Mr. President has also maintained, quite rightly that anybody who is not relevant in his Ward, Local Government Area and State cannot hold office at the National Level,” Ojezua said.
Speaking on the party’s chances in the forthcoming governorship election in the state, Ojezua noted that Obaseki had what it took to win, whereas, Oshiomhole paraded a third rate army.
“What Oshiomhole has with him is a third rate army. That was the deficiency he meant to fill when he invited mercenary group to invade our party. I am happy our members resisted them.
“We are ready for the elections. Obaseki has done so much to justify the confidence the citizens reposed in him. It is the goodwill and prayers of the people. We will have success at the elections,” he said.