EDO: APC Chieftain, lampoons Chairman over attempt to kill party
Former Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Barrister Thomas Okosun has lambasted the State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Mr Anselm Ojezua over his threats to deal with members of the Edo People’s Movement, EPM.
Okosun who is also from the same Senatorial District with Ojezua said the threat of Barr. Anselm Ojezua and the dichotomy he sought to create in the membership of the Edo People’s Movement and the All Progressives Congress, is an advertisement of his failure as a leader and, even more indicting, his ignorance of basic rights of membership of the party.
According to Okosun, “The whirling crisis that is rocking the APC in Edo State today is due to several factors but above all is the poor leadership of Anselm Ojezua who, instead of pursuing the path of peace, justice and adherence to established party guidelines and principles, chose to compromise himself and side with his paymaster, Governor Godwin Obaseki, who is in open fraternization with members of the opposition party whilst shunning members of his own party.
“...the Governor of Edo state, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, and his Deputy formed what they called the Obaseki/Shaibu Movement, OSM, but Barrister Anselm Ojezua saw nothing wrong with such movement but, in fact, gave a public endorsement to the so-called OSM, urging all party members to support the movement; but as a similar movement, the Edo Peoples Movement, EPM, was formed, he is coming out to condemn it...which is a clear case of double standard and pettiness'.
“It is on this ground that one must, therefore, ask Anselm Ojezua the moral right he has to issue out threats to members of the EPM who, unlike him, have set aside personal gain and ambition and united to save the party from the path of ruin that the greed and incompetence of the Chairman and Godwin Obaseki is taking the party”.
Okosun said, “Anselm Ojezua has never hidden the fact that he is the puppet and Godwin Obaseki is the puppeteer. As opposed to what would be ordinarily expected of an elder and leader who should be open to all, Anselm has positioned himself as a factional party chairman whose sole interest is what crumbs he can glean from the table of the Governor, rather than the survival and growth of the party.
“Godwin Obaseki’s forceful entitlement to a second term, which Anselm has shamefully backed, is bizarre considering that he was elected to serve a four-year tenure after which the party, and members of the state, will come together and choose to either give him a fresh mandate or discontinue it. In the same vein, it is a part of democracy that all members, just like Godwin in 2016, are allowed to aspire to offices without anyone criminalizing their position or insisting that he be elected or reelected by force.
“These are the principles we expected Anselm to uphold and remind Obaseki who has clearly lost his way. However, Anselm Ojezua has jettisoned his leadership and now attaches himself to the Governor like a powerless leech.
“Based on these transgressions, I therefore urge Barr. Anselm Ojezua to immediately resign his position as Chairman of our party. He has lost the support of the majority of our party members across the state and has lost the credibility to bridge the divides that exist in the state and lead us to victory in the coming election. Anselm has failed horribly, and he must pave the way to a more credible party Chairman who will be ready to unite all aggrieved party members in preparation for the 2020 gubernatorial election.
“If he refuses to heed this humble advice, myself and other members of our party will not hesitate to call on the National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress to save our party from the hands of Anselm Ojezua and his co-travelers before the party goes into extinction in the state.
“With a divided house, it will be near impossibility for our party to retain power in the State. At this critical stage in our body polity, what we need is a unified front to confront the opposition political parties.
“Our party is already too fragile under Ojezua that he ought to be thinking of how to strengthen our party. Unfortunately, Anslem Ojezua does not care about what happens to our party as long as he is able to please his paymasters”, he said.
Former Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Barrister Thomas Okosun has lambasted the State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Mr Anselm Ojezua over his threats to deal with members of the Edo People’s Movement, EPM.
Okosun who is also from the same Senatorial District with Ojezua said the threat of Barr. Anselm Ojezua and the dichotomy he sought to create in the membership of the Edo People’s Movement and the All Progressives Congress, is an advertisement of his failure as a leader and, even more indicting, his ignorance of basic rights of membership of the party.
According to Okosun, “The whirling crisis that is rocking the APC in Edo State today is due to several factors but above all is the poor leadership of Anselm Ojezua who, instead of pursuing the path of peace, justice and adherence to established party guidelines and principles, chose to compromise himself and side with his paymaster, Governor Godwin Obaseki, who is in open fraternization with members of the opposition party whilst shunning members of his own party.
“...the Governor of Edo state, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, and his Deputy formed what they called the Obaseki/Shaibu Movement, OSM, but Barrister Anselm Ojezua saw nothing wrong with such movement but, in fact, gave a public endorsement to the so-called OSM, urging all party members to support the movement; but as a similar movement, the Edo Peoples Movement, EPM, was formed, he is coming out to condemn it...which is a clear case of double standard and pettiness'.
“It is on this ground that one must, therefore, ask Anselm Ojezua the moral right he has to issue out threats to members of the EPM who, unlike him, have set aside personal gain and ambition and united to save the party from the path of ruin that the greed and incompetence of the Chairman and Godwin Obaseki is taking the party”.
Okosun said, “Anselm Ojezua has never hidden the fact that he is the puppet and Godwin Obaseki is the puppeteer. As opposed to what would be ordinarily expected of an elder and leader who should be open to all, Anselm has positioned himself as a factional party chairman whose sole interest is what crumbs he can glean from the table of the Governor, rather than the survival and growth of the party.
“Godwin Obaseki’s forceful entitlement to a second term, which Anselm has shamefully backed, is bizarre considering that he was elected to serve a four-year tenure after which the party, and members of the state, will come together and choose to either give him a fresh mandate or discontinue it. In the same vein, it is a part of democracy that all members, just like Godwin in 2016, are allowed to aspire to offices without anyone criminalizing their position or insisting that he be elected or reelected by force.
“These are the principles we expected Anselm to uphold and remind Obaseki who has clearly lost his way. However, Anselm Ojezua has jettisoned his leadership and now attaches himself to the Governor like a powerless leech.
“Based on these transgressions, I therefore urge Barr. Anselm Ojezua to immediately resign his position as Chairman of our party. He has lost the support of the majority of our party members across the state and has lost the credibility to bridge the divides that exist in the state and lead us to victory in the coming election. Anselm has failed horribly, and he must pave the way to a more credible party Chairman who will be ready to unite all aggrieved party members in preparation for the 2020 gubernatorial election.
“If he refuses to heed this humble advice, myself and other members of our party will not hesitate to call on the National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress to save our party from the hands of Anselm Ojezua and his co-travelers before the party goes into extinction in the state.
“With a divided house, it will be near impossibility for our party to retain power in the State. At this critical stage in our body polity, what we need is a unified front to confront the opposition political parties.
“Our party is already too fragile under Ojezua that he ought to be thinking of how to strengthen our party. Unfortunately, Anslem Ojezua does not care about what happens to our party as long as he is able to please his paymasters”, he said.
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