By Seyi Babalola
The women in Edo state, under the aegis of Edo Women in APC, have reaffirmed that the Parry’s governorship candidate in September 21 2024 election, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has a huge capacity to govern the state.
Leader of the group, Barrister Pauline Osakwe, in a statement, accused those they called political entrepreneurs of having sudden morbid hatred for the APC candidate because of the new reality that all indices favoured him to succeed outgoing Governor Godwin Obaseki.
While making references to the claims of one Emmanuel Odigie on ARISE television Friday morning, that a so called Integrity Group in APC was threatening to leave the party, Osakwe said that neither Odigie nor Inegbeniki have the moral standing to preach morality to politicians nor talk about integrity.
According to the statement, “Odigie who claimed to be a member of APC, is also a first cousin of Asue Ighodalo, the governorship candidate of PDP.
“Only a few weeks ago, when Asue Ighodalo visited the Benin palace on a courtesy visit, Emmanuel Odigie was on the entourage of Asue. This alone was anti-party behaviour registered against him.”
Explaining the role of Chief Inegbeniki in APC, the group stated that during the 2023 general elections, Chief Inegbeniki was also caught romancing with the opposition PDP and did not work for his supposed APC party.
“It is in the character of Chief Inegbeniki who thrives in political blackmail and switching to the highest bidder at every little opportunity.”
Osakwe also revealed that “earlier this week, precisely five days ago, Chief Inegbeniki, who was in a meeting with the PDP chairman in Edo state, Dr. Anthony Aziegbemi and other party stalwarts, was documented demanding exotic vehicles and a juicy position in the campaign machinery of Asue Ighodalo so that he can work for them effectively.”
“Unknown to him, the party officials began to mock him as soon as he left, teasing him for demanding what he could not get in APC.”
While condemning the interview granted on ARISE TV this morning by Odigie, the Edo Women in Politics stated; “we hereby distance the party from the anti-party elements and sentiments expressed by Odigie and his cohorts for their selfish interests,” claiming that there was no division in APC in Edo state.
The statement however added that Odigie made several references to the resignation of Chief Francis Inegbeniki from APC, “but he did not tell us that the said Chief Inegbeniki was a serial decampee who plies his trade always at the eve of elections.”
“In 2020, Chief Inegbeniki, who was an APC leader in Edo state, pitched tent with the PDP to the extent that he was caught on camera severally at the Government House in Asaba, Delta state, where he probably went for inducements under Senator Ifeanyi Okowa as Governor.”
It further disclosed that the said Odigie was the one that brokered the new political relationship between Inegbeniki and Asue Ighodalo which made the former to resign from APC last week.
According to the statement, denigrating the personality of Monday Okpebholo was just a smokescreen to justify their political entrepreneurship of those claiming to have resigned from the party.
The group insisted that Senator Okpebholo has the capacity to rule Edo state as Governor and take the state to a higher level as he has been a successful businessman and Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“There is nothing like Integrity Group in Edo APC. If there will be anything about integrity, obviously it cannot come from the likes of Emmanuel Odigie nor Francis Inegbeniki, who are facing the moral baggage of anti-party behaviours in APC,” the Edo Women in Politics noted.
