Members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) across the 10 wards in Egor Local Government in Edo State, on Thursday, protested against the alleged substitution of lists of elected ad-hoc delegates by one Emma Iyase, the council chairman of the party.
The protesters, made up of young and old men as well as women, barricaded the secretariat of the party along Airport Road, Benin City.
The aggrieved party faithful were armed with placards of various inscriptions such as “Emma Iyase, please don’t kill APC in Egor local government.”
“APC Egor ward 10 says no to doctored delegate lists, imposed unpopular delegates on APC ward 10 to your own peril, APC Egor LGA chairman, please stop manipulation of delegate lists among others.”
Speaking at the party’s secretariat, Osifo Imafidon Edwin, ward 2 chairman, Ibrahim Momoh, ward 10 legal adviser and Obaze Akugbe, chairman of ward 8 described the alleged substitution of the elected ad-hoc delegate list as undemocratic and capable of contributing to the failure of the party in the forthcoming general elections.
They, however, urged the state leadership of the party to do the needful by ensuring that the substituted lists are reversed.
Imafidon, who said they will make the party lose the general elections in the locality if the right thing was not done, called on the state leadership to, as a matter of urgency, reverse to the original lists of elected delegates.
“We are protesting against the substitution of a list of delegates that emerged at the ad-hoc delegate election.
“After the election, they substituted the original lists of the winners that emerged at the election by the local government chairman of the party, Mr. Emma Iyase.
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“We are not happy, and we want to call on the leadership of the party in the state to urgently do the needful or there will be no primaries elections in the locality,” he said.
Addressing the protesters, Betty Okoebor, state woman leader, and Osarobo Idehen, the state organizing secretary of the party assured the protesters that their grievances will be looked into with a view to resolving their complaints.
Earlier, in an interview with newsmen, Lawrence Okah, the party’s secretary in the state, said protest is a normal thing in politics as those that felt aggrieved had the right to ventilate their anger.
Lawrence, who also spoke on the allegation against him by some members of the party on his preference for Lucky Imasuen, the former deputy governor, against Valentine Asuen, the former youth leader of the party, for Edo South senatorial seat, said whoever he supports is his personal right.
He said others also have a right to support their preferential aspirants.
He added that all aspirants for the State House of Assembly, House of Representatives, and Senatorial seats will be subjected to primary elections.
