By Patrick Ahanor
Benin
The crisis rocking Edo state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has deepened after the Presidency reportedly gave $1 million to a faction of the party penultimate week.
Led by the National Vice Chairman of defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and Director-General of Governor Adams Oshiomhole 2012 governorship election, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, the APC faction had been at daggers’ drawn with the governor over what they termed “flaws” in the recently held membership registration and ward/local government congresses of the party.
A competent source who was at the meeting in the Presidential Villa listed those that attended the meeting to include Edo state PDP chairman, Chief Dan Orbih, Minister of Works, Mike Onolememen, Osagie Ize-Iyamu, Vice Chairman of the APC (Edo South),
Chief Amos Osunbor and representative of Etsako Federal constituency, Hon. Abubakar Momoh.
Others were: Edo North leader of APC, Alhaji Usman Shagadi, five state lawmakers of the party and other key stakeholders.
The source further stated that the Chairman of the PDP board of Trustees, Chief Tony Anenih was however absent at the meeting due to ill-health.
Continuing, the source said although the APC splinter group expressed their loyalty to the president, but demanded assurance that they would not be victimised if they returned to the PDP.
“Despite the $1milion supposedly for flight tickets, the faction was airlifted with a Presidential jet to Benin City.”
The group promptly convened an emergency meeting less than 72 hours after the Abuja trip and consequently announced their resignation from the APC.
Less than 48 hours after their resignation from the APC, it was learnt that a major crisis was looming in the group over “who gets what from the Presidential largesse.”
Blueprint gathered that some aggrieved state legislators who were yet to make their position known after the controversial membership registration and ward/local government congresses had made a U-turn when they learnt about the fallout from the Abuja trip.
