… Central Senatorial District pleads for slot
From Tony Osauzo, Benin
In a bid to have a united house ahead of the 2024 governorship election, the Edo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), at the weekend held a strategic closed door reconciliation meeting, where it lifted the suspensions slammed on some leaders and members of the party for allegedly working against the interest of the party in during the last general elections, especially elections into the state House of Assembly.
At the meeting which held at the Benin residence of the leader of the party, ex-Comrade governor Adams Oshiomhole and now Senator representing Edo North, his former deputy governor, Dr. Pius Odubu, emerged as the leader of the party in Edo South Senatorial District.
“All the suspended members of the party from the unit to ward to local government to state were all told to come back. The major reason for the meeting was to unite the party especially in Edo South because there is no one person that we can call our leader or a rallying point.
“So, on that day of the meeting we were able to install Odubu as the leader of the APC in Edo South. So, we now have a leader that we can always run to, that can call meetings of the party when necessary.
“The issue of Edo Central also came up when a leader of the party was tongue- lashed for his role in the last election because he was angry, he worked against the party but at the end of the day he was also forgiven. The leader of the party, Comrade Oshiomhole said all the suspensions should be lifted.
“The meeting was strictly by invitation, especially old leaders of the party and they will take the message home to their people. Oshiomhole was able to make sure that there is an end to the leadership tussle in the party although one or two leaders were not too happy with the emergence of Odubu but their opinions were consumed by the views of the majority of the people and with this, the party will be moving to the election as a united family”, one the leaders who attended the meeting disclosed.
Similarly, the leadership of the party in Edo Central Senatorial District also met at the weekend in Irrua in a bid to harmonize their position and prune down the number of aspirants gunning for the governorship slot from the district.
The aspirants were enjoined to engage and come up with a list of three from among who one aspirant would be selected by the leadership of the party in the district and presented to the two other districts as their concensus candidate.
The Caucus meeting which was presided over by the Senatorial Leader, Major Gen. Cecil Esekhaigbe retd. PhD, appealed to Edo South and North to support their bid for the governorship of the state.