By Ehi Ekhator
The APC United Front, Edo State Chapter has reacted to a statement made by a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, and a lawyer, Barr. Jefferson Uwoghiren regarding the suspension of a Senatorial Leader and the Vice Chairman of the All Progressives Congress in Edo State.
In a statement titled “who is afraid of Odubu”made available to NAIJA CENTER NEWS and signed by the state President and Conveener, David Osa Ogbeide, the group accused Uwoghiren of being paid by the State government to do its dirty jobs.
APC United Front was reacting Uwoghiren’s assertion during an interview with NAIJA CENTER NEWS where he said Barrister Gentleman Amegor deserved the suspension by APC.
The group said Uwoghiren after taking money from Edo State government in the last election, work for APC instead of his party, PDP.
The statement reads “We read with nostalgia the interview granted by an associate of Idahagbon, Barr. Jefferson Uwoghiren, a PDP member, in an online Journal (Naija Centre News), where on his part, judged and found Barr. Amegor guilty of the allegations level against him, even though the reporter quoted Idahagbon as saying: “we don’t have any ample of physical evidence against Amegor”.
“Who is Barr Jefferson? And what is his reason to adjudge Amegor guilty without evidence? Seeing that Jefferson is a member of PDP who also suffer the same faith of imposition in his party, the PDP in the last election, you may want to ask his interest in this matter.
“Our investigation reveals that Barr. Jefferson is on the payroll of the State Government haven worked for the APC in the last election but still pretends to be in PDP why doing some dirty jobs for the Comrade Governor. This explains the level of decadence in our society and how far some are willing to go to satisfy their greed and stomach infrastructure. Otherwise, for a seasoned lawyer like Barr. Jefferson to openly endorse illegality as ideal, tells it all.
One can clearly see the height of anxiety and desperation in the godfather and his stooge Obaseki as expressed in the interview granted by Barr, Jefferson and Honourable Commissioner, Henry Idahagbon. The frenzy and the desperate efforts being employed by these people to mislead the public and tarnish the image of all perceived opponents of Obaseki leaves more to desire.
“Going through the Jefferson interview, it is evident that the man Jefferson was paid to insult and poor such vitriolic on the person of Right Hon. (Dr.) Pius Odubu. He so betrayed his disdain for Odubu when he asked: “who is Odubu? Is Odubu the owner of APC?” This is not surprising knowing his person and antecedents. One would have expected Barr Jefferson to protect the little credibility left of his already battered image especially as the ordeal that led to his redeployment back to Edo State Government House from Lagos when he was serving as Director of the State Liaison office and his summary dismissal afterwards by Chief Lucky Igbinedion at the instance of Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, the then S.S.G. to the Governor of Edo State, is still very fresh in our consciousness. No wonder Barr. Idahagbon found an ally in this man of shady character.
The group accused Uwoghiren of being a PDP member but an APC in soul, adding that the Barrister promised to decamp to APC after betraying his party.
“It is no gainsaying that this same Jefferson has been currying the favour of the Comrade Governor and have promised to decamp to APC if his condition is met. He is listed as one of those who betrayed PDP in the Last House of Assembly elections as a beneficiary of the Oshiomhole Patronage. But as at now the Comrade Governor is yet to ascent to his conditions. No wonder he threw caution to the wind as he openly insulted the person of our very amiable Deputy Governor, and Comrade Godwin Erhahon, APC publicity secretary, who tried to clear the air of the decision by the Party to have a free and fair Primary election.
“One wonders why Barr. Jefferson, who has chosen to openly flirt with the opposition Party , and concern himself with an issue that is internal and personal to the APC, did not consult with his friend Barr. Idahagbon to avail him the APC Constitution before playing to the gallery, since he is bereft of knowledge and the illegality of the suspension Order served on Barr Gentleman Amegor by some shenanigans, and mischief makers who have no loci standi to carry out such executive order.
“For the avoidance of doubt, I would like to highlight here the provisions and the Rules and Regulations in APC Constitution concerning the discipline of any airing officer or member of the Party.
“ARTICLE 7: AIMS AND OBJECTIVES.
The Aims and Objective of the Party shall be:
(i) To promote and foster the Unity, Political stability and the National consciousness of Nigeria.
“These People led by Barr Henry Idahagbon has offended the provision of this section of the Constitution by causing division and chaos in the Party as it is now.
“(viii) To promote and uphold the practice of internal democracy at all levels of the Party’s organization.
“Have the proponents of the godfather and their agent Barr Jefferson considered these rules here?
ARTICLE 9.2: RULES AND REGULATIONS
(i) Members of the Party shall be obligated to affirm the Party’s Aims and Objectives and conduct themselves in a manner that shall not bring the Party to public Odium and disrepute. Members of the Party shall observe the rules and Regulations of this Constitution.
“Have those persons who signed the petition against Amegor obeyed the Rules and Regulations of the Constitution as provided for in Article 9.2; section (i) here? The answer is capital NO!
Article 13.5 clearly put the powers to conducting of Party Activities in the Zones on the Zonal Committees. These people include:
(i) Zonal Chairman (National Vice Chairman from the Zone).
(ii) Zonal Woman Leader.
(iii) Zonal Youth Leader.
(iv) All State’s Chairman from the Zones.
(v) The President and Vice President if from the Zone.
“Where does Idahagbon and his band fit in here on the listed offices above?
“Article 21.A; clearly explained the offences that are punishable in APC and the power to discipline an airing officer or member, subject to Fair Hearing.
“Section (v) also listed one of the punishable offenses as “giving wrong information to any Organ of the party or unauthorized publicity of a Party dispute without exhausting all avenues of settlement or redress within the Party.
“It is evident that Barr. Henry Idahagbon and his group are guilty of the provisions of this section of the APC Constitution as their action contravene this section (v), as they are currently “Fractionalizing and creating parallel Organ” within the Party which is alien to the APC Constitution.
“Similarly, it is also on record how they, with the support of the godfather have been tempering with the delegates lists in an effort to fix the names of their supporters into the lists as opposed to the provision in section xi below:-
“In case of alteration of delegates list, falsification of Nomination results, and or tempering with the process of internal democracy of the Party, the offender shall be liable to expulsion from the Party and be prosecuted”.
“The Idahagbon led groups, flouting the provisions of the Constitution deserve the appropriate punishment. We are hereby calling on the Party Leadership to urgently invoke the punishment prescribed here on the Idahagbon led group. We also urge Barr. Gentleman Amegor to seek redress and drag these people to the Executive Disciplinary Committee so that appropriate sanctions can be given to them. These people have tried to bring our Party to public jeer and ridicule and so should be so punished.
“It is proper to state here therefore that the suspension order placed on Barr. Amegor is ill-conceived and illegal, inconsequential, ill-advised and null and void since the people acted on their own without due powers from our Constitution.
“The APC Constitution has in Article 21.B; put the powers to remove an officer from office on specific Organs of the Party or on the Executive Committee. This Position, Barr Idahagbon assumed without the Constitutional backing. This amuses us especially that Barr Idahagbon is the Attorney General of Edo State who should know better. No wonder, he could not defend the APC in the House Assembly case in the Etsako West constituency that saw the Comrade Governor losing his Constituency Seat to the opposition Party (PDP) as a result of misinterpretation of legal issues in the Court Case.
“Bringing Jefferson Uwoghiren into APC internal matters is not only callous, it is wicked, going by the manner the said Jefferson was pouring vitriolic on the Deputy Governor who has no part in the quarrels between the Honourable Commissioner, the Governor and Barr Amegor. Barr Jefferson showed his disdain to Odubu that you would want to ask, “What is his gross with Odubu?” He did not only attacked Odubu, but the Publicity Secretary, Comrade Godwin Erhahon who attempted to douse the tension by setting the records straight, and even exonerating the governor of complicity in all the hullaballoo.
“To Barr Uwoghiren and Idahagbon, anyone who has not publicly declared their support for Obaseki must be supporting Odubu even when we know there are over 10 aspirants on the platform of the APC now. These other aspirants also have their supporters within the Party members and the members of the EXCO of the State APC. This careless behavior exhibited by Barr Jefferson and the malfeasances attitude of the Honourable Attorney General of the state Judiciary, leaves more to be desired.
“This open show of hatred glaringly displayed by the Attorney General, Barr Henry Idahagbon and his ally in Barr Uwoghiren has sparked reactions from several groups, both members of the APC and Oppositions alike. As they show their hatred for Odubu and opposing his right to contest the APC governorship Primaries, the crisis in the Party is further deepened with open display of anger and suspicion against the Governor and the Party Leadership. The fallout of this however has been; more of the APC members are now giving their support for Odubu.
“While calling on Barr Jefferson Uwoghiren to remove himself from the APC internal matters, we call on Barr Henry Idahagbon to exercise restrains and caution in his resolve to discredit and disparage the persons of the Deputy Governor Rt. Hon. (Dr.) Pius Odubu and the Publicity Secretary Comrade Godwin Erhahon. We view the actions of the Attorney General as enough to further compound the lingering problems and crisis affecting the cohesion of the Party in Edo State.
“We also call on the Governor to as a matter of urgency call Barr Idahagbon, his Attorney General to order, because it is very unbecoming for a public officer in his capacity to so describe the publicity Secretary of his Party as a man “suffering from mental deficiency actuated by poverty”.
“These people are not only uninformed politically, they are carrying their confidence to a high limit which I term self delusion and living in denials, not agreeing to the facts that their actions can rob the Party APC of victory in the fort coming election.”
Barrister Uwoghiren paid to insult Gengleman Amegor - APC UF
