As crisis in ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) deepens, Washington Usifo, chieftain of the party in Edo State has said that the state chairman of the party in Cross Rivers State, Barr. Alphonsus Ogar Eba is not bigger than the party.
Usifo in an interview on Sunday said that Eba shouldn’t threaten the party that has given him a platform because of the position of national woman leader.
Recall that the position of the national woman leader became vacant following the appointment of Dr. Betta Edu as Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation by President Bola Tinubu, and the decision of the party to zone the position to Edo State
Usifo said, “The constitution doesn’t say that any state that held a position will hold it perpetually. What it says is that if there is vacancy the state and executive council (exco) will recommend, and that is exactly what has been done.
“He is not bigger than the party. The party has taken a position. He holds the position of the party man in trust for the APC. Every party man and woman who is a member of this party is under the register that is being maintained by the national party of this great party.
“He shouldn’t bring us to disrepute in the way he talks. When he said that they have struggled for this party, let him go through the definition of struggle. He will know that in the struggle for the party we started it as Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).
“He said that Edo is traditionally the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) state, we fought against the PDP when it was almost like a one party state, not like it is now. We won from the opposition and brought power to the state, just like our national leader, now the President of the federal Republic of Nigeria today, President Bola Tinubu.
“He was in opposition for so long. He worked diligently and today he is the President. I can imagine how the President feels when he (Eba) talks down on a party that he worked very hard with his people to take to where it is now,” Usifo said.
“The President knows exactly what is happening. He is trying to put the party together so that we can deliver on the Renewed Hope we have promised Nigerians.
“All APC members should know that we are sitting on a time bomb. Nigerians are waiting and we must come together with a fraternal spirit to deliver on the Renewed Hope mandate that we gave to our people and they are waiting.
“You must not remind the President as if you are threatening him. He said that three governors left, and you are talking about divorce. When you have a wife that is irresponsible and a man that is also irresponsible to a marriage, just like the APC chairman who spoke yesterday.
“He should also know that in the whole of South-South, there are states which do not have governors. So, if a state does not have a governor, does it mean that the state doesn’t exist as a member of APC or that we have a line of leaders there? Leaders will always act amongst other leaders.
“He was there and these things were debated and decisions were reached. You don’t go on top of your voice to threaten the party that has given you the platform. My advice is that he should temper justice with good character, so that at the end of the day your issues will be looked into.“As it is today, Mrs. Mary Idele Alile is the national woman leader of the APC. She is from Edo State, I congratulate her. I also want to congratulate the Cross Rivers State, that it has a darling daughter in the person of Betta Edu, a young dynamic, amiable and intelligent. The one that has succeeded her is also very competent and is going to take the office to the next level beyond where Betta Edu took it,” he said.
- FG moves to secure natural resources, as presidential committee meets service chiefs - January 25, 2024
- Kogi govt pays JAMB registration fees for 15,033 public school students - January 24, 2024
- Edo Guber: APC debunks aspirants screening disqualification rumours - January 24, 2024