Edo: Ex-Rep dumps APC, accuses Oshiomhole of monopolising appointments

By Jethro Ibileke

A former member of the House of Representatives, Ehiozuwa Johnson Agbonayinma, has dumped the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), over alleged interference and marginalization by the party in Edo State.

Agbonayima who represented Egor/Ikpoba Okha federal constituency in the House of Representatives between 2015 and 2019 announced his exit from APC on Wednesday in Benin.

He alleged that the party has been hijacked by people he said are ‘monopolising its activities’.

He said it was painful that other people, including Senator Adams Oshiomhole, (Edo North) and Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, a senatorial aspirant for Edo South Senatorial District who are not from his local government area and senatorial district are now dictating what happens his local government area and his Ikpoba-Okha Ward 6.

The former member of the Code of Conduct Bureau said he could not continue to remain in a party where, according to him, politicians who worked against the APC during the last elections are now dictating what happened within the party.

In his letter of resignation addressed to the Ikpoba-Okha Ward 7 Chairman of the APC, Agbonayinma said:

“As a foundation member from the days of AC, ACN, ACD now APC, we worked diligently to build an all-inclusive democratic institution. It is therefore deeply distressing to witness the party in our dear constituency gradually becoming the property of one or a few individuals who are unnecessarily and undemocratically interfering in political providence of the party in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government.

“After a careful evaluation of recent developments within the party (APC), and having observed a series of anti democratic tendencies and activities, I regret to inform you of my decision to resign my membership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) with immediate effect.

“How can I, as one of those who helped, who worked intelligently for this government, and those that fought us, are the ones dictating, now telling me that I’m no longer a person?”

Commenting on the distribution of federal appointments allotted to the state, the ex-lawmaker accused Senator Oshiomhole of blocking his appointment as acting chairman of Code of Conduct Bureau and also diverting all other appointments to Edo north.

“We, the Edo South that laid the golden eggs. You see, three ambassadorial, that’s supposed to be one Edo North, one Edo South, one Edo Central, all domiciled in Edo North. What about my people that are qualified? We have former deputy governor, former member of House of Rep, former senators in this South, a zone that had the highest population, neglected, marginalized,” he lamented.

“South-south Development Commission, the two executive directors, domiciled in Edo North. Benin-Owena River Basin Development Authority, chairman executive director, domiciled in Edo North.
Minister, regional, Edo North. Executive director, FBA, Edo North. S. A. Oil and Gas, Edo north. I don’t jealous them, because somebody is speaking for them. What happened to us when we, in Atlantic Ocean, soap all in our eyes, but we cannot get water to clean our eyes?

“I have people that have gone to House of Reps, that have gone to Senate. I have people that have been deputy governors in this state, for God’s sake. Do you mean that we don’t have any qualified person that can be an ambassador? That me, as a leader of Ikpoba-Okha, just on paper, I could not recommend anybody?

“Even the one we endorsed in Ward 6, the young man, committed, hardworking, dedicated, Joseph Ize-Iyamu, which all of us recommended, when I called the leadership of APC, the secretary of the party, he said, never, no way, go and bring somebody [else]. We brought somebody [else] and the people said, no.

“Go and bring female, we brought female, no.

“Now, the man that we recommended from ward 6, that he said never, no, when Pastor [Osagie] Ize-Iyamu now called the secretary, the case was different, it was reversed. The intervention of Pastor Ize-Iyamu, he did not call the man that we recommended. That was the man now. He did not call the chairman. So, I am not important. When [people from] other local government interfered in my local government, in my ward.,

“I was to be the acting chairman of the code of conduct bureau; you all saw it. But, immediately, the letter came from the presidency to take over, our so-called leader, that I respect, that I treasure, that I work for, that I call my leader, that I have been defending in every platform, was going around and saying if they allow me to be the Chairman of code of conduct bureau, I will jail everybody. and I was not made.

“What have I done to Comrade, interfering in Ikpoba-Okha? What have I done to Pastor, interfering in Ikpoba-Okha, my ward, my local government? So, Ikpoba-Okha is made for others, not for us. I cannot continue to live in a party that has no respect, that is not democratic,” he said.

Agbonayinma stated that if as a leader he cannot empower his people, give them opportunity, what is he a leader for.