From Tony Osauzo, Benin
The recent zoning of political positions in Akoko-Edo, including the representation of the constituency at the federal level by the All Progressives Congress (APC) party caucus of the local government, has run into controversy with some party faithful describing the exercise as “untrue and do not reflect the wishes of the party leaders in Akoko-Edo on the matter”.
The said caucus meeting the zoning was done, was said to have been attended by some aspirants such as Mr. Tony Aiyejina, Mr. Paul Afaghason, Mr. Anselm Agbabi, and Mr. Taiwo Akerele and was reportedly convened by Senator Domingo Obende.
But a statement signed by the Local Government Chairman of the APC, Prince Ojo Maliki, queried the competence of Sen. Obende to call the meeting because his membership of the party “remains under question following his subsisting suspension on the 3rd of February, 2022, over actions detrimental to the interests of the party, similar to this divisive and misleading meeting he reportedly chaired.
“It goes without saying, therefore, that the meeting lacks legitimacy and amounts to nothing beyond social fraternization amongst a select group of friends. Resolutions therefrom are neither the wishes of the members of the APC in Akoko-Edo nor of any effect on its preparations for the primaries in the coming weeks.
“That these individuals sought to fraudulently portray the outcome of their sectional meeting, in which they drew up political arrangements beneficial to themselves, as the collective decision of the party and the people by extension, is a condemnable disregard of due process and inclusiveness, as well as an unnecessary act of dishonesty and desperation”, the statement said.
It appealed to members of the public and the press to completely disregard the meeting and its outcome for the obvious reason that the zoning of political positions in Akoko-Edo could not have been done without the input of critical stakeholders who were all absent at the said meeting.
“None of the serving and former political office holders in Akoko Edo attended the sham meeting. Our rep member, who is also a principal officer, Hon. Emmanuel Agbaje, a member of the House of Assembly, and other leaders including Chief Mike Oloyo, Chief Arogundade, and Chief Augustine Amune were all absent at the meeting.
“The meeting also failed to record the attendance of local party leaders such as the party chairman of the LGA, about eight ward chairmen out of ten in the constituency, and other grassroots mobilizers whose voices are needed to legitimize any such arrangement.
“Evidently, Senator Domingo Obende merely hosted a social gathering in his domain that holds no consequence whatsoever in the party and the LGA. We reject completely the disparaging and undemocratic idea that this suspended party member and his small gang of friends can decide for thousands who they must elect, especially in a political party founded on the tenets of democracy opposed to such imposition and disregard for well-known party decision making process.
“We call on the State Working Committee of our party to immediately call Senator Domingo Obende and his gang to order as their actions risk causing avoidable problems for the party as we approach an important election in a matter of months.
“We cannot have a situation where a man who boasted openly about his disloyalty to the party and support for the PDP and Governor Godwin Obaseki in the last governorship election continues to interfere unduly in the nomination of candidates for elections. As far as we know, and as Senator Domingo Obende has told the world, his loyalty is a swinging pendulum that can go to “friends” even in the opposition party, and we therefore reject his obtrusion in our candidate-selection process”, statement added.
But in a swift reaction, Hon. Anselm Agbabi who is the Edo North Leader of the APC, waived off the claim of alleged suspension of Sen. Domingo from the party, saying if that was true the Chairman should have raised at the recently concluded National Convention of the APC in which Sen. Domingo participated fully.
“Ojo Maliki and Akpatason were invited to attend the meeting and having failed to attend, cannot now turn round to attack its outcome.
“Even Akpatason knows it is the turn of constituency 1 to produce the House of Representatives member for Akoko-Edo. It is not even a contest”, Agbabi added.