Edo 2024: APC South South Meeting ends in deadlock
By Etim Isong
The gulf of division in the All Progressive Congress, APC, seems to be widening daily as the meeting of the South South Caucus held in Calabar ended up in fiasco – the falcon could not hear the falconer.
The meeting was held at the instance of the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, who in his ‘uncommon’ commitment to tepid drama vowed that APC must take over Edo State.
First, the citizens of Edo State must be aware that the APC is not coming to administer qualitative governance in Edo State, they intend to assault the commonwealth of the state so that funds can be shared to several of the party’s godfathers. The people cannot afford to set the state back with these hyenas waiting to feast on the funds coming to the state. If not, what should be the interest of the senate president in Edo State election where he will not be voting? The citizens must be very vigilant so that their beloved state is not sold by Edo State accomplices and bought by strangers.
As it was said before, the APC is divided along several fault lines. While Senator Oshiomole favoured Hon. Dennis Idahosa for governor during the primary, the party at the national, including the senate president, favoured Senator Monday Okpebholo because is one of them. This was the reason why the ticket was yanked off Idahosa for Monday. This is also the reason why Akpabio and Oshiomole are at loggerheads. And it was for this same reason Oshiomole was conspicuously absent from the meeting.
With Oshiomole being absent, who should have spoken on behalf of the members from Edo State, the Acting Chairman, Jarret Tenebe, Hon. EJ Agbinayinma, and the South South Organizing Secretary, Blessing Agbonmhere, had to go down on their knees begging for campaign funds. As at yesterday, nothing concrete was promised yet.
As usual, the laconic APC candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo, all through the cold meeting did not rise to say a word to members who attended, not even a word of appreciation to the South South leaders of the party after the meeting. It was gathered from those who attended that most of the leaders at the meeting were disappointed at Sen. Monday, especially his inability to even express himself, or was he able to acknowledge those who made contributions. The consensus amongst members was how come the party settled for such a mediocre candidate.
Members of the party who attended from Edo State came home feeling very disappointed as it was obvious selling Monday is an impossible task. Some of them vowed not to openly support him so as to keep their integrity intact.
According to a reliable source, Pastor Ize-Iyamu, who doubles as Okpebholo’s godfather and media aide, was conspicuously absent as he was not invited to attend the meeting because of the rancour within the party.
