Drama As APC Sends Out Edo PDP Caretaker Committee Chair To Reclaim Party Secretariat

There was a mild drama in Edo State on Thursday after the All Progressive Congress (APC) announced the successful reclamation of the party’s secretariat, which had been reportedly seized by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) four years prior.

The Chairman of the APC in Edo State, Jarrett Tenebe, stated in a speech delivered shortly after the party’s acquisition of the secretariat that the property legitimately belongs to the APC.

He noted that the party had extended the lease for an additional seven years before the PDP, which, allegedly with the assistance of the then Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, forcibly seized it from them.

Naijaonpoint learnt that the caretaker committee chairman of the PDP, Anthony Aziegbemi, along with the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Blessing Agbebaku, were present at the secretariat when the APC reasserted control over the secretariat located at 59 Airport Road, Benin City.

Speaking further, Tenebe stated that reclaiming the secretariat from the PDP was one of his commitments upon assuming the role of State Acting Chairman.

Additionally, he mentioned that another key promise was to secure victory for the party in the upcoming gubernatorial election.

“About four years ago, APC made a frantic effort to extend the rent of this particular building, which has always been the office of the APC. If you search on Google, you will discover that this secretariat still reads “APC’s office,” Tenebe said.

“The party in the state approached the national office to arrange so that we will be able to pay for more years for the rent of this facility. The national obliged us and sent us money to renew it for 7 years.

“The Governor then, Mr Godwin Obaseki, decamped to PDP and in a military way, they took us out of this secretariat. Destroyed all our properties, took our vehicles and drove us out of this place.

“I came into the office with a commitment to reclaim the state and redress all the wrongs done by the PDP and Godwin Obaseki.

“The day I became the chairman of the party in the state, I made two promises to our party faithful to make sure that APC takes over the state and to ensure that all the properties taken from the APC are returned to them.

“Some few months ago, there was a governorship election in this state and everybody can attest to it that Senator Monday Okpebholo emerged as the governor of the state, fulfilling one of the promises I made to our party faithful.

“Today is the happiest day of my life, that I am fulfilling the second promise I made to my party to make sure that all the properties taken from APC are returned. That is why we are here today. To take over the secretariat that was forcefully taken from us.”

He said the party would remodel the building into its official pattern, just as he vowed to resist any attempt by any group or vested interest to displace them from the property or any of their other properties.

“Today, we have taken over this secretariat. It belongs to us now, we are going to allocate offices today. We have also called the painters to repaint this place to APC color today, because this place rightfully belongs to us.

“We are ready to resist anybody that will try to make any noise or try to do anything with everything that we have,” Channels Television quoted the APC chieftain to have said.