"Ganduje, Stop Oshiomhole from Repeating in Edo What He Did in Zamfara and Rivers" - Edo APC Stakeholders Warn

Critical stakeholders in the All Progressives Congress (APC) Edo State have met and written to the National Chairman of the APC, His Excellency, Dr Umar Ganduje, explaining everything that transpired during the collation exercise in Benin for the 2024 APC Gubernatorial Primary election.

According to the Barr Chris Ebare, Hon. Robert Okoineme, Prof Osa Ordia, Hon Ken Ihensekhien, and the seven other APC stakeholders who signed the letter, they explained that the behaviour of Adams Oshiomhole was capable of "creating a situation similar to those in Zamfara and Rivers states during the 2019 elections wherein the party had no candidates courtesy of the evil machinations of Sen. Adams Oshiomhole while he held sway as national".

The body of the letter reads thus;

"_Dear Sir,_

*LETTER BY EDO APC STAKEHOLDERS*

We write to you with respect to the just concluded APC gubernatorial primary election held on Saturday 17th February, 2024 in Edo state. While thanking you for your leadership and for the effort you put in to ensure a hitch free exercise, we are confident that whatever problems that have arisen are not of your creation. Indeed, we are grateful.

In the build up to this event, you will recall that one of the aspirants, Dr. Blessing Agbomere in a widely publicized letter raised serious objection against the appointment of Sen. Hope Uzodinma as Chairman of the Edo APC primary election committee. Dr. Agbomere anchored his reason on the close relationship that exists between Governor Hope Uzodinma and Sen. Adams Oshiomhole who is known to be the sponsor of one of the aspirants. For him and many others, the Imo state governor will stop at nothing to subvert the electoral process in a bid to ensure that Sen. Oshiomhole’s preferred aspirant, Hon. Dennis Idahosa emerges as candidate. Unfortunately, this protest was ignored on the grounds that Sen. Hope Uzodinma who is Chairman of the Progressive Governor's Forum should not be rejected in a process that he personally wanted (and lobbied) to be involved in. Even though we were later assured by the National Working Committee (NWC) that safeguards will be put in place to assuage our fears, it is clear that Dr. Agbomere saw tomorrow considering the events that later unfolded on the day of the primaries.

On Friday 16th February, in the custom of primary elections, the statutory stakeholders meeting between members of the committee, aspirants and other members was scheduled for an usual time- 10pm at the Edo APC state secretariat. On inquiry, we were surprised to learn that Sen. Hope Uzodinma, the committee’s lead didn't come to Edo state for reasons best known to him. As a result of this, the deputy chairman, H.E. Sen. Bassey Otu, Governor of Cross River state and some other committee members commenced the meeting at 11pm. Because of the late hour, and the large number of thugs at the venue, the meeting that ought to have been comprehensive didn't last beyond 30 minutes. In spite of these shortcomings, the primary election proceeded on Saturday.

In the afternoon of Saturday 17th February 2024, as results were being received, collation began at the designated center, Lushville hotel along Gapiona road, GRA, Benini city, in the presence of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies and party officials. Likewise, the local government area returning officers as well as the state’s Chief returning officer were present and the process was televised live by one of Nigeria's foremost television station, TVC communications for all to see. After the collation of the first 8 local government area results, Sen. Monday Okpebholo was leading having won 6, while Hon. Dennis Idahosa had won in 2.

Not long after the departure of the state’s Commissioner of Police, CP Funsho Adeboye, a great commotion was heard at the hotel’s entrance with thugs numbering over 200 with AK 47 riffles, broken bottles, cutlasses and axes invaded the place. In the process, they overpowered and drove away the security personnel at the gate while chanting- *“announce Denco or everybody go die here”.* They attacked the officials who were present, beating them mercilessly. They stole their phones, laptops, and other gadgets; they dispossessed them of cash and other personal valuables. The hotel facilities such as it power plant, furniture and many more were vandalized. Party officials and press men, some elderly, who were there could have been killed by these armed thugs who continued to beat them, stab them with various objects and then left them to reel in the pool of their own blood. Sadly, TVC communications who transmitted the event live had their staff manhandled and their transmission van and equipment wrecked beyond immediate usage. As if the havoc wasn’t enough, the thugs went from room to room brandishing dangerous weapons, harassing innocent customers of the hotel, threatening them and forcefully taking possession of their personal effects. In fact, it was a classic case of a sponsored thug invasion turned full-scale armed robbery. This heinous crime was orchestrated by one of the aspirants who was loosing.

It took the courageous effort of some party men and women to bring the situation to a calm. They informed the security agencies who mobilized more men and swiftly moved to the venue to restore normalcy. But for this timely intervention, those innocent officials would have been killed unjustly. Most of them however ended up in an undisclosed hospital with various degrees of injury.

Mr. Chairman, we are aware that security agencies arrested some of the thugs. We appeal that they should remain in detention regardless of pressure from any quarter. Their sponsors must be fished and made to face the brunt of the law.

Sen. Hope Uzodinma as chairman of the primary committee finally strolled into Benin city, the Edo state capital, on Saturday afternoon when the election was almost over. Despite his late arrival, he refused to join the officials at the collation centre. Worse still, the knowledge that the officials he ought to have led were attacked and seriously injured didn’t bother him; he neither paid them a visit in a show of empathy nor did he sue for peace. Instead, he became an interested party by converting Protea hotel, which was his original place of accommodation to a psedo collation centre. In the absence of the local government area returning officers as well as the Chief returning officer of the state, he brazenly invited the press and began to announce some strange results which he probably brought from Imo state. In carrying out this very disgraceful act, Governor Hope Uzodinma didn't think of the fact that INEC had already witnessed what actually transpired at the designated collation center, he didn't know that the national secretariat of the APC had earlier furnished INEC with the total number of validated members and that a valid exercise must reflect the total number of accredited voters.

When normalcy was restored, collation resumed and was concluded in the presence of all accredited officials which includes INEC, security agencies, party officials and all local government area returning officers. The result was announced by Dr. Ugboaja Stanley Uzoamaka, the state’s chief electoral returning officer, who alone has the prerogative and Sen. Monday Okpebholo was declared winner.

Sen. Hope Uzodinma grossly abused and ridiculed the privilege of his exalted office by announcing a result that was completely conjured.

Mr. Chairman, while not wanting to cast aspersions on an APC governor, we appeal to you to call Sen. Hope Uzodinma to order because his action was not only oppressive but reprehensible. It is capable of creating a situation similar to those in Zamfara and Rivers states during the 2019 elections wherein the party had no candidates courtesy of the evil machinations of Sen. Adams Oshiomhole while he held sway as national chairman. If Hope Uzodinma and Comrade Adams do not care about the fortunes of APC in Edo state, as bonafide APC members in this state, we do.

There is undue tension in the state because of this calculated attempt to subvert the will of the majority of the APC family in Edo state. We have absolute confidence in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, and have enormous respect for him. For this reason, we wish to demand that the national chairman of this great party, Alhaji. Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje immediately issues a certificate of return to Sen. Monday Okpebholo who is the undisputed winner of the Edo state APC gubernatorial primary election held on Saturday 17th February, 2024. We wish to state that our civility should not be mistaken for weakness. We beg not to be blamed for any uprising that may emanate if this impunity by the Imo state governor goes unchecked.


*Signed:*

Barr. Chris Ebare
Hon. Robert Okoineme
Prof. Osa Ordia
Hon. Ken Ihensekhien
Hon. Chris Abuya
Dr. Leonard Atsigidi
Hon. Faustina Ovieronoba
Mr. David Adodo
Engr. John Brown Oviasuyi
Pst. Stanley Dave
Engr. Tom Eshemogie"

The Letter has been received by the APC National Chairman and shall be considered by the 21 February when the Appeals panel for the primary would sit to review all complaints and take a position of the Party.

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