Edo APC faction suspends Obaseki, others

A faction of Edo All Progressives Congress (APC) says it has suspended Gov. Godwin Obaseki and members of his cabinet from the party.

The party’s factional Chairman retired Col. David Imuse said this at a news conference with in Abuja on Wednesday.

Imuse, who was former vice chairman of the party said that Obaseki intended to weaken and truncate the party’s ability to win the forthcoming governorship election.

“There is clear and unambiguous evidence by the admission of the governor himself that he actively supported and worked with opposition candidate in areas where his favoured aspirants did not pick the party ticket.

“This pattern of anti-party activities led to widespread electoral loses in Edo South Senatorial District, including the ward and local government of the governor where we lost.

“In the desperate bid of Obaseki to suppress all forms perceived opposition and in his determination that no credible opposition emerges in the forthcoming primaries, elected council ofiicials are indiscriminately removed from office with impunity,” he alleged.

According to him, these chronicles of events are geared towards weakening and eventual destruction of APC and intended to truncate our ability to win the forthcoming gubernatorial election.

“In light of the foregoing, it has become obvious that Mr Obaseki has become a liability to APC.

”We cannot longer fold our arms and watch him drag our collective political fortunes into the abyss in his desperate bid to destroy the party,” he said.

Imuse said that the only option was to protect the interest of all stakeholders who had laboured assiduously to build up the party.

“We hereby pass a vote of no-conhdence on Mr Godwin Obaseki and his leadershlp team comprising his Deputy Governor, Mr Phillip Shaibu and Osarodion Ogie (Secretary to the State-‘- Government) and they are hereby suspended from the party,” he said.

He called on security agencies to take necessary steps to protect their lives and property which he said were at risk following the threats that followed their patriotic action to savage the image an future of our party.

“We wish to use this medium to put the Inspector-General of Police and other security agencies on notice that members of the State Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress Edo were harassed and hounded out of Benin following the vote of no confidence passed on Anselm Ojezua.

”Thugs and hoodlums were mobilised to our houses in the dead of the night, and some others were stationed at strategic locations including the Benin Airport,” Imuse said.