Edo APC Chairman Blames Oshiomhole for Party’s Defeat, Calls on National Leadership to Sanction Disgraced ex-Chairman

Factional state Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in Edo state, Anselem Ojezua has blamed former National Chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole for the defeat suffered by the party in Saturday’s gubernatorial election in the state.

Addressing newsmen on Sunday in Benin city, Ojezua said Oshiomhole pushed Obaseki out of the party forcing him to embrace the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), On the platform he emerged victorious. The party chairman called on the national leadership of the party to sanction Oshiomhole.

He said, “I think the position of Edo APC, prior to the disqualifi­cation of Governor Godwin Obaseki has been vindicated. Before that, the Edo APC had already reached a consensus with Obaseki as the candidate but Oshiomhole thought oth­erwise.

“He abused his office as national chairman, pushed the governor out of the party and you can see that the ben­eficiary is now PDP.

“The result of his illegal actions is what we witnessed today. I don’t see how APC can recover from this.

“Oshiomhole factionalised the party, created a faction in the name of EPM, brought a candidate from outside the party and forced him down the throat of the party. They campaigned without the party behind them and they expected to win. This is the result.

“That was why I said I will not speak until after the election and now I have been vindicated. If I spoke before the election, they will say it is anti-party. Now we know who has done anti-party.

“Honestly, if the party does not do anything to sanction Oshiomhole, then we in Edo APC will have to review our membership of that party, because we gave notice, we warned the party, we peti­tioned the leadership; there is nothing we did not do to salvage the situation within the last 15 to 18 months.

“The party only took steps after Obaseki has left which is an irredeemable loss. Every­one can see the result now”.