Edo deputy gov begs Buhari to intervene in crisis rocking state APC

The deputy governor of Edo State, Philip Shuaibu has pleaded with President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene in the hightened crisis rocking the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), in the state.

The crisis in Edo APC may have got to a crescendo, with the faction of the party loyal to Adams Oshiomhole endorsing Osagie Ize-Iyamu as their consensus candidate to emerge as the party’s flagbearer for the September, 2019, governorship election in the state.

With the development, it appears Oshiomhole, who is the national chairman of the APC and a former governor of the state, and his men will stop at nothing to ensure incumbent Governor Godwin Obaseki does not return as the state governor.

Shuaibu, who spoke to newsmen on the crisis in the state on Friday, claimed that Oshiomhole was bent on ensuring the destruction of Edo APC and Buhari’s anti-corruption legacy.

“My message to His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, who is the leader of the party in Nigeria, is for him to intervene in the crisis rocking Edo APC. I urge him to provide leadership at this critical time as Oshiomhole wants to destroy his anti-corruption legacy.

READ ALSO: EDO GOV POLL: No man can stop me, I’ll get 2nd term the same way I got 1st term —Obaseki

“Oshiomhole is not joining the President’s anti-corruption crusade, rather he’s bringing a person that has N700m corruption case pending in court to contest an election. Oshiomhole called this man a thief; it is the same man he is bringing to govern Edo people,” Shuaibu said.

He added that the party’s National Executive Council (NEC) said that every state executive should decide on its mode of primary and submit to the National Working Committee (NWC).

“We have done that and we stand by that resolution. Oshiomhole is an interested party and he can’t decide for us,” he said.

On Ize-Iyamu picking of the APC governorship election form, Shuaibu insisted that he was unqualified to contest because he was not a registered member of Edo APC.

“Ize-Iyamu is not a member of the Edo APC because he is not registered in his ward. The constitution is clear on who a member is. He agreed to the fact that he didn’t register at the ward and his ward chairman didn’t register him.

“The constitution says for one to be a member of the APC in the state, he or she must be a registered member of the party in his or her ward.”

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