Chieftains of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State have expressed worry over the continuous disruption of peace and security in the state by the suspended National Chairman of the party, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.
The stakeholders, who spoke to journalists at the weekend in Benin City, warned that if not called to order, the continuous violence being propagated by the embattled National Chairman and his co-dissidents in the proscribed Edo Peoples Movement (EPM, could degenerate.
The party leaders insisted that the erstwhile governor, who has been suspended by his ward in Etsako West Local Government Area, has no legal authority to function in office as National Chairman of the APC, urging the state government to stop him from causing further breakdown of law and order in Edo State.
An APC leader in Edo South, Prince Austin Eweka, said the suspended national chairman has turned himself into a lawless figure in his selfish bid to muscle Governor Obaseki out of office, and must thus be put in check.
“Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has continued to show the world the kind of person he really is, violating orders and promoting violence across Edo state. He has disregarded the ban on political rallies. The Commissioner of Police and the Inspector General of Police, have standing directives against holding rallies in the state but Oshiomhole has flouted them.”
A chieftain of the APC in Edo Central, Theo Okoh, said rather than unite party members in his home state, Oshiomhole has through his actions caused divisions, creating a faction within the party.
“The actions of Oshiomhole have continued to cause palpable fear among residents and party members in the state. Imagine a National Chairman who instead of uniting members is promoting violence, division and disaffection among party members.”
Okoh, however called on President Muhammadu Buhari, the National Executive Committee of the APC and the Inspector General of Police to kindly call the suspended National Chairman to order so as to restore peace and sanity in Edo.
Also, Sen. Domingo Obende, who represented Edo North at the National Assembly, decried that despite efforts by the Obaseki-led state government to bring economic development to the people of Edo, Oshiomhole who is his predecessor, has been a negative influence in the affairs of the state.
He insisted, “The APC in Edo State is intact and united. The party and the good people of Edo State are fully in support of Governor Obaseki, who in the last three years has improved the lives of Edo. Oshiomhole, rather than promote crisis and unrest in the state, should support the stellar performance of the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration.”
