By Jethro Ibileke
All Progressive Congress (APC), Edo State chapter, said it had taken possession of its secretariat located at 59, Airport Road, Benin City, four years after it was forcefully evicted by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Speaking shortly after the takeover, the State Chairman of APC, Emperor Jarrett Tenebe, said the property rightfully belonged to his party, as they had renewed the rent for 7 years before the PDP forcefully took it from them with the help the then Governor Godwin Obaseki.
“About four years ago, APC made a frantic effort to extend the rentage of this particular building which has always been the office of the APC. If you search on Google, you will discover that this secretariat still reads ‘APC’s office’.
“The party in the State approached the national office to arrange so that we will be able to pay for more years for the renting off this facility. The national obliged us and sent us money to renew it for seven years.
“The Governor then, Mr Godwin Obaseki, decamped to PDP and in a military way, they took us out of this secretariat, destroyed all our properties, took our vehicles and drove us out of this place.
“At that time, we complained to the Inspector-General of Police and he, in his wisdom agreed that we should take over the secretariat. But because the Commissioner of Police in the state was working hand in hand with the then Governor, they refused to allow us access. Then, I was the deputy chairman of APC,” Tenebe said.
Speaking further, the party chairman said he came into office with a commitment to reclaim the state and redress all the wrongs done by the PDP and Godwin Obaseki.
He said: “The day I became the chairman of the party in the state, I made two promises to our party faithful: to make sure that APC takes over the state and to ensure that all the properties taken from the APC are returned to them.
“Some few months ago, there was a governorship election in this state and everybody can attest to it that Senator Monday Okpebholo emerged as the governor of the state, fulfilling one of the promises I made to our party faithful.
“Today is the happiest day of my life, and I am fulfilling the 2nd promise I made to my party to make sure all the properties taken from APC are returned. That is why we are here today. To take over the secretariat that was forcefully taken from us.”
Tenebe while officially announcing the takeover of the property, disclosed that the party will remodel the building into its official pattern.
He promised to resist any attempt by any group, or vested interest to displace them from the property, or any of their other properties again.
“Today, we have taken over this secretariat. It belongs to us now, we are going to allocate offices today. We have also called the painters to repaint this place to APC colour today because this place rightfully belongs to us.
“We are ready to resist anybody that will try to make any noise or try to do anything with everything that we have,” he added.
The Deputy Commissioner for Police in charge of Operations, Ben Abang, accompanied by other senior police officers was also at the reclaimed APC Secretariat to get a first-hand brief on the reclaiming of the office as he interacted with APC Chairman and other top party executives.
The State PDP chairman, Dr Tony Aziegbemi who was on the premises of the building at the time of its takeover, was later escorted out by the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Blessing Agbebaku.
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