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The All Progressive Congress, Edo state chapter, under the chairmanship of Anselm Ojezua, has given settlement conditions to the embattled national chairman of the party, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.
He, however, said any reconciliatory move must be based on justice and respect for the party’s constitution which was violated by some leaders of the party in the South-South last week.
Speaking with Newmen, Anselm Ojezua, said the meeting of the South-South APC failed because the conveners showed utter disregard for the party’s constitution by convening a peace meeting in Oshiomhole’s private residence. That, according to him, negates the spirit of genuine reconciliation.
“There is nobody who will not be open to reconciliation. Nobody likes trouble. But if there is going to be reconciliation, it must be based on justice and the constitution of our party must be respected. Certain decisions have been taken according to the constitution, until that is reversed, we have to give effect to it.
“The national chairman has been constitutionally suspended by his own ward. So, why should they now go and fix a meeting around him and conferring legitimacy on him when effectively he is actually suspended as a member? That is why I keep asking if somebody’s membership is suspended, can that person function as an officer of an association? That is the fundamental question.
“They need to deal with him for him to face his suspension and then you can begin to discuss reconciling him with his people if that will help. But for them to ignore the rules of the party is offensive to the very constitution all of us collectively swore to defend.
“Giving the impression that some people are sacred cows is wrong. From the result of that meeting, you can see that it was a meeting to save his face and that was why it failed. I already predicted that the meeting was called to pass a vote of confidence on the suspended national chairman and that was exactly what happened.
“More than 75 percent of those at the meeting were his loyalists. Many people that were sponsored in Benin to go and create a colony in Abuja were the people at the meeting”.
It would be recalled that an emergency caucus meeting called last week by the South-South region of the APC to find a solution to the intractable crisis in the party failed to achieve its desired objectives as Edo State governor, Godwin Obaseki and the leadership of the party in the state boycotted it.
Giving reasons for boycotting the meeting which was convened by the APC National Vice-Chairman, South-South, Hilliard Eta, the Edo State chapter said the venue of the meeting should have been a neutral place and not in Oshiomhole’s private residence.
It also said the major aim of the meeting is to pass a vote of confidence on the embattled national chairman.
As predicted, a vote of confidence was passed on Oshiomhole at the end of the meeting which was boycotted by leading political office holders from the South- South zone of APC. Ovie Omo-Agege, Deputy Senate President was also chosen as the leader of the party from the zone.
