Ngozi Onyeakusi– The Edo State chapter of All Progressives Congress, APC, has suspended the national chairman of the party, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.

The suspension followed the vote of no confidence passed on Oshiomhole on Tuesday, November 12, by the chairmen of the APC in the 18 Local Government Areas, LGAs, of the state.

A statement jointly signed by Anselm Ojezua, APC chairman and Ikuenobe Anthony, assistant secretary in Edo, respectively, explained that Oshiomhole was suspended for his alleged role in the crisis rocking the state chapter of the party.

According to the statement: “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. The vote of no confidence on Oshiomhole and the suspension are the fallout of his role in trying to disintegrate the party in Edo State.”

It stressed that the suspension was necessary to prevent a repeat of what happened in Zamfara State, where the APC was unable to field any candidate in 2019 general elections.

“Comrade Adams Oshiomhole is the one behind the crisis in Edo APC. We have passed a vote of no confidence in him and he stands suspended from the party. We don’t want what happened in Zamfara State or other parts of the country to happen in Edo State,” the statement said.

However, another statement jointly signed by Ibrahim Akokia, Etsako West chairman, Suleiman Bagudu, Etsako Central and Lugard Alukpe, Owan West counterparts, respectively, the 18 LGA chairmen of APC in Edo distanced themselves from Oshiomhole’s suspension.

According to the trio, they were not aware of any meeting where a vote of no confidence was passed on Oshiomhole who they said was “doing very well”.

Contrarily, they accused Godwin Obaseki, governor of Edo State, of harassment and intimidation, adding that his actions could pull down the APC in the state.

They urged the National Working Committee, NWC, of the party to expel Obaseki from the party over allegations of anti-party activities.