Suspension Statement Provocative, Mischievous – Faction Blows Hot

Joe Kanjo

The announcement made by the Publicity Secretary of the PDP in Edo State, Chris Nehikhare, that the state chairman of the party, Dr. Tony Aziegbemi, has been suspended by the State Working Committee has been countered by another faction of the state exco.

Info Daily had yesterday reported that Dr. Tony Aziegbemi was suspended for allegedly raising false alarm and other misconduct.

Making the formal announcement Wednesday morning in a statement made available to newsmen, state Publicity Secretary said the Chairman was suspended on “gross misconduct by brewing unnecessary tension and disunity among party members in the state in a manner akin to bringing the party into disrepute.”

Nehikhare in the statement added that State Working Committee (SWC) held a meeting at the state party secretariat on Tuesday, 1 June 2021, where he was suspend and thereafter directed his deputy, Mr. Harrison Omagbon, to take over Aziegbemi’s position on acting capacity until the allegations levied against him have been investigated.

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“Two-third majority of members resolved in a motion that the state chairman, Dr. Tony Aziegbemi should step aside and therefore suspended from his position and Hon. Harrison Omagbon, the State Deputy Chairman, will act in his place until the determination of the allegations levied against him.

“An Investigative Committee is hereby set up, headed by the State Legal Adviser Barr. Arthur Esene, and is mandated to report back to the Working Committee within one week. Other members of the Committee are Mrs. Linsdale Tes Sorae (State Woman Leader) and Dr. Wilson Imogan (State Auditor).

“This decision hard as it is, is designed to bring sanity back to our party. It would be like ignoring the elephant in the room if we ignore this macabre dance as Edo people have watched in utter amazement and disappointment how Dr Tony Aziegbemi has been roped and entangled by his actions and unfortunately too, his inactions in the management of the affairs of the party.

“We are a very disciplined party and pride ourselves as organised and focused on service delivery to our teeming supporters and of course Edo people.

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“We urge our members and supporters to please remain calm as we embark on this self-cleansing exercise,” Nehikhare’s statement reads in part.

But in a swift reaction, the state youth leader, Ehis Destiny, said the publication by Nehikhare was not only provocative, misleading and mischievous, by also embarrassing, adding that there was never a time where the SWC members met and decided that the chairman of the party be suspended.

He added that all the claims contained in Nehikhare’s statement were merely falsified, manipulated, and conjured by him, his paymaster, and his cohorts.

Destiny said, “My attention has been drawn to the malicious publication signed by Mr. Chris Nehikhare, the PDP publicity secretary that, the state chairman of PDP, Dr. Tony Aziegbemi has been suspended by the state working committee of the party.

“This publication by Mr. Chris Nehikhare is embarrassing, provocative, misleading, and mischievous. There was never a time where the state working committee members met and decided that the chairman Dr. Tony Aziegbemi should be suspended. All the claims in that Mr. Chris Nehikhare’s publication were merely falsified, manipulated, and conjured by him, his paymaster, and his cohorts.

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“I am a member of PDP state working committee. Currently, l am the PDP state youth leader. We were with the state chairman yesterday, the 1st day of June, 2021 till the close of work at about 4pm. While in the chairman’s office, there was nothing that is suggestive of him being suspended.

“It is very disturbing, disheartening, and embarrassing to read on the pages of social media this morning that, our chairman, who is a peace loving, friendly, amiable, enthusiastic, dedicated, and pragmatic leader has been labelled and maliciously maligned by an overzealous publicity secretary, whose only stock in trade is to pull others down.

“It is however unfortunate that we live in a society where honest and straight forward people are slaughtered in the altar of innocence and truthfulness.

“The chairman Dr. Tony Aziegbemi has at all times strived to carry everybody along since he became the party’s chairman in the state. Some powers that be, who believe that PDP in Edo state is their private and personal estate have tried every means to hijack the administration of the party in the state, even when they know what they are doing is wrong.”

He advised the state publicity secretary to immediately retract his publication and all the claims with immediate effect and tender an unreserved apology to the state chairman in person and the entire Edo PDP.