Tensions Escalate In APC As Esan West Disagrees Over Proposed Commissioner-Nominees

Tensions Escalate In APC As Esan West Disagrees Over Proposed Commissioner-NomineesMembers of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State are in disagreement over the recently submitted list of commissioner-nominees, with some party leaders protesting the lack of representation for all five kingdoms within the local government.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

In a letter dated November 21, 2024, addressed to Governor Monday Okpebholo through the Secretary to the State Government, Barrister Musa Umar Ikhilor, the petitioners expressed dissatisfaction with the nominations, which they claimed failed to reflect the diverse communities of Esan West, which include Ekpoma, Idoa, Ogwa, Ujogba, and Egoro.

The petition, titled “Re: Nomination of Five Names from Esan West Local Government,” was signed by APC leaders from all ten wards in the area. They accused Mr. Thomas Okosun, a former Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly and former state chairman of the now-defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), along with former APC state chairman Mr. David Imuse, of orchestrating the nominations without proper consultation with local party leadership, a process they claimed was followed in other local government areas.

Among the petition’s signatories are prominent party leaders such as Chief Edwin Ogieriakhi, Chief Saturday Ogbeide, Hon. Abu Momodu, Mr. Visly Udaze, Chief Festus Ozoba, Mr. Wesley Oran, Mr. Sam Akhigbe, Chief Ikpea Ojie, Joe Aise Aisdion, and Hon. Monday Ehighawa.

The petitioners also raised concerns about perceived bias in the nominations, citing Mrs. Ogbidi, the wife of the APC chairman in Esan West, as one of the nominees, as well as Pastor Odigie, who is reportedly a pastor at Thomas Okosun’s church. They expressed concern that these selections favored personal relations and did not adhere to the principle of equitable representation for all the kingdoms in Esan West.

The petitioners argued that the nominations were heavily skewed toward Ekpoma, as all the selected nominees were from that kingdom, despite Esan West being made up of five distinct kingdoms. They emphasized that, traditionally, one nominee has been selected from each kingdom, but this practice was not followed in the current list.

In the petition, the party leaders wrote: “We, the concerned leaders of Esan West Local Government, wish to register our protest against the list of commissioner nominees from Esan West. Firstly, the nomination was done by Mr. Thomas Okosun and Mr. Imuse without consulting the leadership of the Local Government, as has been done in other Local Governments. Secondly, the list is made up of his relations and friends. For example, the female nominee, Mrs. Ogbidi, is the wife of the party chairman, and Pastor Odigie is Thomas Okosun’s church pastor.

“Additionally, the selection does not reflect the geographical spread within Esan West, as the local government is made up of five kingdoms: Ekpoma, Idoa, Ogwa, Ujogba, and Egoro. Our usual practice is to select one nominee from each of these kingdoms, but in this case, all the nominees are from Ekpoma kingdom.”

The petitioners warned that the lack of fair representation could cause division within the APC in the area and called on Governor Okpebholo to review the list to ensure justice and equity in the selection process.

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