Oshiomhole and Obaseki

Jethro Ibileke/Benin

The crisis rocking the Edo chapter of All Progressives Congress, APC as a result of the tussle for the control of the structure of the party between Adams Oshiomhole, the National Chairman of the party and the governor of the State, Godwin Obaseki worsened on Tuesday.

A faction of the party believed to be loyal to the Governor had early Tuesday morning announced the suspension of to the state Secretary of the party, Mr. Lawrence Okah. The faction also passed a vote of confidence on the leadership of the state chairman, Mr. Anselm Ojezua.

“After the meeting of the State Executive Committee, in pursuant of Article 17, Section 5 of APC constitution of 2014, as amended, we the undersigned members passed a vote of no confidence on the State Secretary of the party, Mr. Lawrence Okah,” Deputy State Chairman of the APC, Kenneth Asekomhe told journalists after the meeting of the party’s State Executive Committee.

“He is hereby removed from office. The committee also passed a vote of confidence on the state chairman of APC, Mr. Anselm Ojezua,” he added.

But the expulsion turned out to be a stepping stone for a more bigger one as Adams Oshiomhole himself was suspended many hours later.

The APC), in Edo State in a statement signed by state chairman of the party, Anselm Ojezua and Assistant State Secretary, Ikuenobe Anthony said the suspension of Oshiomhole followed the vote of no confidence passed on him by the Chairmen of the APC in the 18 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Edo State earlier in the day.

The suspension, according to the party chieftains, was because of the role being played in crisis rocking Edo state chapter of the party by the APC National Chairman.

The statement released on the suspension of Oshimhole reads in part: “Consequent on the development, the State Executive Committee has adopted the vote of no confidence passed on him and the subsisting suspension order from the organs of the party in the state.

“Comrade Adams Oshiomhole is the one behind the crisis in Edo APC. We have passed a vote of no confidence on him and he stands suspended from the party.

“We don’t want what happened in Zamfara State or other parts of the country to happen in Edo State.”

But just as Nigerians were trying to figure out what is happening in the Edo chapter of Nigeria’s ruling party, another statement jointly signed by the Chairman of the body and Etsako West Chairman, Ibrahim Akokia, as well as his Etsako Central and Owan West counterparts, Suleiman Bagudu and Lugard Alukpe respectively was released calling on the National Working Committee (NWC) of APC to expel the state governor, Godwin Obaseki, from the party.

The LG chairmen, also disassociated themselves from the suspension of the APC national chairman, saying the claim of passing a vote of no confidence on Oshiomhole was not true.

But they accused Governor Obaseki of harassment and intimidation, adding his actions could pull down the APC in the state.

“He is on a mission to destroy APC in Edo state but we will resist it,” the chairmen added