Esan Central APC Allegedly Suspends State Vice Chairman, Francis Inegbeniki, 8 Others

…Edoror should account for N2.5 million logistic given to him for House of Assembly Election; N5 million he collected from Senator Ordia – Inegbeniki

… He should have been talking out of frustration because there is nothing like that – Edoror

By Simeon OSAJIE

The leadership of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Esan Central local government area of Edo State seems to be experiencing difficult moment as group allegedly suspended Nine Leaders of the party at an extraordinary meeting held today, 20^th March, 2023 at Irrua, the administrative headquarters of the local government.

The suspended leaders include APC State Vice Chairman, Chief Francis Inegbeniki, Esan Central foremost Party Leader, Prince Willy Shaka Momodu, Ward Leader, Hon. Abudu Ugbesia, among six others.

The suspended nine APC leaders were alleged to have held a clandestine meeting at a hotel in Eidenu, Irrua on the eve of the House of Assembly election and resolved to work against their party candidate Hon. Victor Edoror for the House of Assembly election. It is alleged that they were induced by the ruling party and their grand conspiracy to disallow Hon. Edoror to get into the House and become the Speaker which might scuttle their agenda for Esan governor candidate from Esan Central LGA.

The meeting which was attended en mass by angry members and party executives of the party across the LGA appointed former LGA Councillor and House of Assembly aspirant, Hon. Bello Oyaziwolo, as the acting Leader, to oversee the affairs of the party pending the determination of the investigation into the degree of involvement of each of the suspended leader.

Interestingly, the Deputy Leader of the Party in Esan Central LGA and former Vice Chairman of the LGA, Hon. Francis Ubene, was exempted from suspension because preliminary investigation revealed that he was in the meeting allegedly called by Chief Francis Inegbeniki, but he refused to agree with their alleged plan to sabotage the election for Hon. Victor Edoror because according to him, “I have forgiven him and if I have forgiven him, I cannot work against him or the party”.

Speaking with Hon. Bello, after the appointment, the new LGA Leader said he was not interested in leading the party for selfish reasons but would commit himself to helping the party rid itself of betrayals and inept leaders in the LGA and hopefully allow a free process to produce the next LGA Leader.

Reacting in a telephone interview with The9JaTREND, the state Vice Chairman of APC, Chief Francis Inegbeniki said: “That is a joke taken too far. This morning, (20^th March, 2023), the leadership of the party called a meeting and invited Victor Edoror to come and explain how he disbursed the N2.1 Million that was transferred to him to send to all the wards for logistics during the Saturday 18 House of Assembly election.

“Instead of Victor Edoror to come and explain how he distributed the money, because the ten leaders of the wards were present; instead of Edoror to come and defense himself, he just called some few people to his house and started sending out paper that he has suspended people. So we are meeting tomorrow (21^st March) to trial him as well. Otherwise, there is no problem in Esan Central APC, is just because they are asking him to account for the money that was given to him and N5 Million he collected from Senator Ordia during the senatorial election where he lost his ward.

“Because the party is inviting him to come and account for the money, him is now engaging in kangaroo suspension trying to embarrass the leadership of Esan Central APC. Anyways, there is nothing like suspension, is a joke taken too far. At the appropriate time, the party will meet and we will trial all those concern.”

When The9JaTREND put a call to Hon. Victor Edoror to get his reaction over the allegation leveled against him by Chief Francis Inegbeniki, the former speaker said, “He should have been talking out of frustration because there is nothing like that. That is manufactured story. He should go and face the leadership of the party, I have no issue with him, and I am not even in the best position to talk about the position of the party, because I am not a party functionary. Is the chairman of the party or the new leader of the party that can respond. Moreover I am candidate I have the right to be given money.

“But all these money he is talking about never happened. He didn’t even know how I source for fund for my election, so he is just lying. It is pity that a man of that caliber could go so low to lied that way; that should be out of frustration.”