TheCable

A faction of the Edo state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) says Adams Oshiomhole, national chairman of the party, lacks moral authority to lead the party and should resign.

Speaking at a conference at the APC secretariat in Benin, Anselm Ojezua, the state chairman of the party, chronicled the role Oshiomhole played in the crisis in the state.

He accused Oshiomhole of being the cause of the party’s problems, adding that Edo APC started having issues during the conduct of the 2018 primaries held for elective offices in the state.

He accused Oshiomhole of planning to force “a regime change on the party in defiance of democratic norms”.

He said the party also received reports of anti-party activities by “individuals closely linked to Oshiomhole” who were peddling rumours that Godwin Obaseki, governor of the state, was a political burden.

He said the state chapter of the party has come to the conclusion that Oshiomhole lacks the capacity, temperament and moral authority to lead the party.

“It is clear that there had all along been a grand plan to falsely create the impression of a crisis of leadership within the party in the State and these plans were hatched and executed under the directive of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and executed through his acclaimed ‘infantry division’, “he said.

“In any case, having been placed on suspension as a member of the party, he has lost the legitimacy to act in any capacity in the party.

“We draw particular attention to article 21 of the constitution of the party which relates to discipline of party members and the powers of respective organs of the party to take disciplinary actions against members.

“In the circumstances, any action taken in the capacity of national chairman including documents he signs and meetings he presides over may well be futile as his membership is already compromised.

” In particular, we are guided by the admonition of President Muhammadu Buhari who has consistently maintained that we must live up to the tenets and provisions of the constitution of the All Progressives Congress.

“Mr. President has also maintained, quite rightly, that anybody who is not relevant in his ward, local government area and state cannot hold office at the national level.

“We therefore urge Comrade Adams Oshiomhole to do the honourable thing and resign or be precluded from functioning in office while his suspension subsists.”