Following his suspension on Sunday by some members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Uhumwonde Local Government Area of Edo States for alleged anti-party activities, a former Minority Whip of the House of Representatives, Hon Samson Osagie, has described his suspension as illegal and ill-conceived.
The suspension of Osagie, who represented Orhionmwon/Uhumwonde Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, and 30 others for allegedly working against the APC during the September 28 governorship election in Edo State was said to have been ratified in a letter signed by the state secretary of the party, Chief Osaro Idah.
Some of the APC leaders affected by the suspension were a former chairman of the party in Uhumwonde Local Government Area, Rolland Alari, and Joseph Omorotionmwan.
However, Osagie in a statement on Sunday said his purported suspension was laughable and allegedly masterminded by a former political adviser to former Governor Adams Oshiomhole, Charles Idahosa.
He said, “Let me state clearly that as against my accusers, particularly, Charles Idahosa, I followed the Governor (Godwin Obaseki) and the entire state campaign team to campaign throughout Edo South Senatorial District and worked hard to ensure that the APC won overwhelmingly in my Unit 4 at Egba and the entire Ward 6 (Umagbae South) in Uhunmwode.
“Charles Idahosa, the mastermind of this suspension, did not win his own unit in his community, Ehor town. The results are there for everyone to see.”
While stating that he and others were “never invited” for the sake of fair hearing on the matter, he disclosed that the development may not be unconnected with his support for the immediate past deputy governor, Dr Pius Odubu, who contested the party’s governorship primary.
He said, “It is a fallout of the last gubernatorial primaries in which I played a prominent role in support of former deputy governor, Pius Odubu, as against the incumbent Governor.
“For him and his cousin, Charles Idahosa, it is payback time for daring to disagree with them on who Uhunmwode delegates should support in the primaries. After the primaries, together with others, we worked for the party’s victory in Uhunmwode.”
However, in a reaction, Idahosa said he wished the party well.
Meanwhile, the crisis rocking the party took another dimension, following the suspension of the LGA chairman, Mr Harrison Oyegue, and Idahosa by 15 out of 24 executive members of the party in the area.
At an enlarged meeting on Sunday, they also advised the suspended members to appear before a disciplinary committee.
and then