By Osahon Osahon
Fresh crisis has hit the Edo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the leadership protested the recent appointment of Senator Domingo Obende, as the Chairman of Niger state registration committee.
The party said the membership of Senator Obende was still questionable over his “public support” for Governor Godwin Obaseki, now of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), before his new appointment to head Niger State membership registration and revalidation of APC members.
The Chairman of the state Caretaker Committee of the party, Col. David Imuse (Rtd.) in a petition to the national secretariat of the party, urged the leadership to reverse Obende’s appointment.
Imuse in the petition alleged Obende has ceased to be a member of the party in Akoko-Edo local government area of the state since June last year.
He alleged that Obende’s appointment is causing a lot of ripples in Edo state.
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“For anti-party activities which were clearly aimed at bringing the APC into hatred and disunity amongst members and disorganization of the APC party structure in ward 2, in favour of the PDP, Obende was duly suspended from the party by the executive members of his ward in 2020.
“We are not aware that Mr. Obende’s suspension has been lifted, and that is obviously because he refused to purge himself of his gross involvement in anti-party activities, especially his continuous encouragement of factionalization of the APC in ward 2 of Akoko local government area of Edo state.
“Rather, Senator Obende got all his supporters in his Akoko-Edo LGA to decamp to PDP in 2020. Even the money for the governorship election brought by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for the election in his local government area was disbursed in his residence at Igarra.
“The fact is Obende has since ceased to be a member of APC. Most of our party leaders and faithful in Edo state are threatening to jeopardize the forthcoming registration exercise and exit the party en mass if disloyalty is now the hallmark of recognition in the APC.
“It is for the interest of our party, that Domingo Obende’s appointment be reversed. The morale of our members right now is at it’s lowest ebb. If Mr. Obende wants to revalidate his membership of the APC, he can do so in his unit during the forthcoming registration exercise”, Imuse stated.
Senator Domingo Obende could not be reached on his mobile phone for a reaction.
