The Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, has described the ruling of an Abuja Federal High Court, which bars Comrade Adams Oshiomhole from parading himself as chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as a right decision for the party.
Obaseki stated this Wednesday evening in Benin during the Edo South Senatorial rally to seek for new members.
“No man is God and no man can play God. With what God has done today, what we should do now is to just thank him. When we planned this meeting last week, we did not know that God has a plan for us today,” he said.
He noted that the court’s pronouncement meant that peace had finally returned to the party in the state.
Obaseki said; “my problem with the national chairman is that when people started saying that they were Edo Peoples Movement (EPM), I called him and urged him to denounce them that they are destroying our party. Up till today, he did not.”
He explained that he was not afraid to see people coming out to say that they want to contest the governorship position but they have to do so in accordance with the rules of the party.
He noted that the aim of the rally was to drive the party’s membership up to not less than 500,000 before the end of June.
On his part, party factional chairman, Barr. Anselm Ojezua, said the suspension of Oshiomhole will provide the needed atmosphere for peace in the party in the state.
He said the suspension had finally proven to all in the state that no man is God.
He, however, advised members-elect of the house of assembly who have abandoned their legislative duty to stay in Abuja to learn from what befell the national chairman and return to represent their constituencies.
“We want our brothers, who have gone to stay in Abuja and have abandoned their duty, to come back home. They have been forgiven and would be accepted back,” he said.
Court’s order
An FCT High Court in Jabi, Abuja suspended Oshiomhole as the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) earlier on Wednesday.
Justice Danlami Senchi ordered Oshiomhole to step down pending the determination of the substantive suit seeking his perpetual removal as the APC chairman.
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There have been calls from sections of the APC for Oshiomhole to resign.
Oshiomhole’s suspension by party
Oshiomhole was suspended last November by the Edo State chapter of the APC over his alleged role in the crisis rocking the party in the state.
The decision, according to a statement signed by the State Chairman, Aslem Ojezua, and Assistant State Secretary, Ikuenobe Anthony, followed the vote of no confidence passed on Comrade Oshiomhole by the chairmen of the APC in the 18 local government areas of the state.
The statement read 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.”
It said the decision was necessary to prevent a repeat of what happened in Zamfara State, where the party was unable to field any candidate in elections
