Crisis rocks Edo Central APC over senatorial leadership

Thursday, January 5, 2017 12:40 am

Anselm Ojezua: Edo APC Chairman

Jethro Ibileke/Benin

Crisis is looming in the All Progressives Congress (APC), in Edo Central Senatorial District, as members of the party are bickering over who becomes the leader of the party in the district.

‎It was lerant that an end-of-year party hosted by the party’s Vice Chairman of the Edo Central Senatorial zone, Mr. Henry Okoror at Uromi in Esan North East Local Government Area of the State, ended in chaos as most of the leaders in attendance, were said to have walked away from the party when the issue of who should be the senatorial leader came up.

It was gathered that several speakers, including the party’s local government chairmen from the district, spoke of the need for the senatorial zone to have a leader who will be the rallying point to attract government patronage and development to Esanland.

Trouble was said to have started when the State Chairman of the party, Barroister Anslem Ojeazua, allegedly snatched microphone from a former Commissioner in the State and Deputy Chief of Staff to former Governor Adams Oshiomhole, Ken Ihensekhien, who had moved a motion nominating Chief Francis Inegbineki as the senatorial leader of the party in the zone.

Ojeazua was quoted to have said he was averse to the issue of having a senatorial leader for the zone, but his view did not go down well with the youths, some party members and women leaders who insisted that the issue of the leader must be settled once and for all.

Consequently, the youths reportedly locked the gate to ensure that nobody left the venue of the party and thereafter, the youth leader from Esan Central Local government, Mr. Anthony Ibhafidon, seconded the motion moved by Ihensekhien nominating Chief Inegbineki as the leader which was greeted with a loud applause.

The development was said to have forced most of the party members to walked out and refused to eat or drink the alcoholic beverages that the host provided.

Reacting to the incident, State Chairman of the APC, Mr. Anslem Ojeazua, said the position of a senatorial leader was unknown to the party and unconstitutional.

“The invitation to the party by Mr. Henry Okoror was supposed to be an end-of-year party and the briefing of party members, that was the impression. Nobody told us that we were going to discuss the issue of party leadership for the zone.

“The position taken by some members in favour of a particular person as a leader have the potential of dividing the party, that is why the party did not hold and most of those who were supposed to be there were not there,” Ojezua explained.