No to attempt to hijack “Edo APC from the top” says former Edo Chief of Staff

By David Onimisi Lawani

The former chief of staff to the Edo state Governor, Taiwo Akerele has noted that when the attempt to resolve the crisis in the party, APC failed, he had no choice than to resign from the party noting that there is no attempt to hijack the party.

Akerele, in a statement  to journalists in Abuja, said it is unfortunate that after the election he started hearing that some party members are going about saying they are still members of the party after ensuring that the party lost the poll.

He thanked Akoko Edo APC for delivering the local government council for the party candidate that the party suffered betrayal from those the party trust.

According to him: ” While some of us took a very bold stand from day one especially after our attempt to resolve the crisis in our party failed, that we cannot be in APC and at the same time be in PDP, we went extra mile by resigning from the Government as top cabinet members, we also made sacrifices by ensuring victory for our party in Akoko Edo LGA one of the few LGAs, that were delivered for the party in the September 19 elections in Edo state.

” It’s therefore saddening to hear that some top leaders who worked, not only behind the scenes but openly to sabotage our efforts, scattered the party and sponsored the PDP to weaken us and delivered their units and ward to the PDP are now moving from office to office in Abuja claiming they are still in APC and that they  are committed to the party ideals.

“This is completely unacceptable to us who stood our grounds and stood by our party when this was highly required. We have suffered and continue to suffer for the decisions we took but we are encouraged to be counted amongst the courageous and extremely very few principled and bold people of the year 2020”, he said.

He stated further that the national secretariat of the party must be cautious in its attempts to handover the structure of the party to those who did everything to make sure the party lost in the September 19th governorship election.

” The National Catertaker Committee must be at alert and not be deceived into handing over our party structure to those who sabotaged us, enriched themselves and stock the crisis in the party before, during and after September 19th Edo elections.

” Party loyalty, supremacy and commitment should not be sacrificed on the alter of influence peddling and connections. You cannot be in APC and be working for the PDP at the same time.

” The Governor of Edo state won the elections and I have joined our President Muhammadu Buhari to congratulate him, to this extent all the APC “chieftains” who worked for him must be patient till February 2021 to reap the fruits of their labour just like the genuine PDP members are also patiently waiting for cabinet formation, but going from office to office in Abuja trying to deceive our leaders that you are in APC is to me the most unpatriotic act ever”

 He congratulated the former APC chairman of Edo state for formally joining the ruling party, PDP after series of crises had rocked the party before the election.

“I also used this medium to congratulate Anslem Ojezua and his group for formally joining the PDP as widely reported in the media, this is long overdue, we enjoin others to join this group openly so we know real APC members from two-faced individuals. We are taking our time to rebuild our party in Edo state we deserve all the required attention at this time”, Akerele said.