Stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress in Weppa Wanno, Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State have called on Governor Monday Okpebholo to urgently intervene in the lingering leadership crisis threatening the unity of the party in the area.
The APC in Edo State has been grappling with internal disputes in recent months, with recurring allegations of imposition, factional rivalries, and leadership tussles at both state and local government levels.
These divisions have led to the suspension of some party chieftains and heightened tensions ahead of key political contests.
In a statement issued after a stakeholders’ meeting on Sunday, the leaders expressed concern that the crisis, if left unresolved, could weaken the APC’s grassroots structure and derail collective efforts to consolidate the party’s strength ahead of future elections.
According to them, the issue goes beyond a mere chairmanship tussle and involves “a calculated attempt to impose a candidate who couldn’t win his polling unit in the last governorship election as the councillor/local government chairman, simply because he is loyal to the acting APC state chairman, Jarret Tenebe,” whom they allege is not from the local government.
The stakeholders accused some individuals of fueling division within the party and using the governor’s name to justify “unconstitutional actions.”
They described the recent process to install a preferred candidate in a “Nollywood-style” as one conducted in clear violation of the law.
They explained that a local councillor who defected to the APC only 48 hours earlier was allegedly forced to resign, after which a hurried and questionable primary was conducted.
“The law is clear: when a councillor resigns, the House of Assembly must be officially notified. Since the House is currently on recess, the seat can only be declared vacant when it reconvenes, and a proper by-election must be conducted within 90 days,” the stakeholders stated.
They warned that any process outside this lawful procedure is illegal and an attempt to undermine the authority of party leaders at all levels.
The stakeholders also expressed fears that allowing such practices to continue would erode trust, discourage loyal members, and destabilise grassroots politics in Etsako East.
“Our mission is to build a stronger APC, support the government, and unite our people behind the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. But this cannot be achieved if internal crises are allowed to fester,” the statement added.
They, therefore, appealed to Okpebholo to urgently wade into the crisis, deploy his political wisdom, reconcile aggrieved factions, and end the culture of imposition within the party.
The stakeholders reaffirmed their loyalty to Okpebholo and the APC leadership, stressing that peace, fairness, and unity in Etsako East are vital to ensuring the party remains strong and capable of delivering good governance to the people.
PUNCH Online reports that the crisis in Etsako East reflects broader challenges within the APC in Edo, where rival camps are struggling for dominance following the party’s loss of the 2020 governorship election.
With Okpebholo now in office, stakeholders see his intervention as crucial to stabilising the party, restoring trust among members, and positioning the APC for electoral strength in upcoming local and state elections.
