Oshiomhole inherited the crisis in APC says Ebegbulem

By Ozioruva Aliu

Mr. Simon Ebegbulem is the Commissioner for Special Projects in Imo state and was the Chief Press Secretary to the former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole. He spoke shortly after the APC governorship primary election in Edo state.

Assessment of the Edo APC governorship primary

It was a very successful one and we are happy that today, the APC in Edo state now has a candidate for the September 19 governorship election. Before now we had a lot of threats and there was tension, particularly after the gazette was published by the state government but the party sent a very powerful committee led by distinguished Senator Hope Uzodinma, the governor of Imo State who ensured that the primary election was well organised. A lot of people defied the early morning rain because of the enthusiasm which was an indication that APC is still solid in Edo State and we are very optimistic that APC will retain the state.

Some members who are still opposed to the process of the primary election

There is no division in Edo APC, but we had some people who were desperate and were trying to destroy the party due to their personal interests. These people you are talking about are now in PDP, the APC in Edo state is one led by Col David Imuse (rtd) who is recognized by the NWC. Today, you can see that APC is moving forward, we have a solid candidate who will beat Governor Godwin Obaseki of the PDP at the next general election.

Waiver for Ize-Iyamu which Obaseki opposed

Obaseki mobilized opposition against the defection of Ize-Iyamu who was coming into the party, he made his ward chairman to deny that he issued Ize-Iyamu membership card and resisted the waiver granted to him to contest. Yet, the same Obaseki went to PDP and in less than three days he was granted waiver. Today, if you conduct an election hundred times in any of the wards on the platform of any party he has decamped to, you will find out that he cannot win.

Oyegun’s position on the crisis

Chief John Odigie-Oyegun is one of the elders of this country that I respect so much, he has been there before as National Chairman of APC and it is funny to hear some of the things he says today. Most of the things he says today, he couldn’t do them when he was National Chairman of the party. He actually created the mess Oshiomhole was trying to clear. Most of these crises they are talking about in several states were created by the Oyegun-led NWC.