Patrick Ahanor
There are indications that six serving All Progressives Congress (APC) legislators in Edo state may have concluded plans to defect to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) due to their dissatisfaction with the recently held ward/councils congresses of the party.
The development is coming one week after Governor Adams Oshiomhole’s kinsmen and a faction of the party leaders issued a 14-day ultimatum to the state leadership to cancel the outcome of the congresses or leave them with the option of dumping the party for PDP.
The state APC has been polarised along the line of who succeeds the comrade governor when his tenure expires in 2016.
The prospective defectors included a senator and five members of the State House of Assembly.
They are: Senator Domingo Obende (Edo North), Barrister Friday Ogierhiakhi (Orhionmwon South), Mr. Patrick Osayimwen (Oredo East), Mr. Razaq Momoh (Etsako West Constituency I), Hon. Johnson Ohunma (Etsako Central) and Hon. Jude Ise-Idehen (Ikpoba-Okha).
Spokesperson for the group, Mr. Kasimu Dokpesi, expressed displeasure over the congresses, pointing out that “the idea of a consensus candidate adopted by the party’s leadership ought to have been an aftermath of agreement reached by the people and not a one man decision”.
