Ex-lawmaker, 29 others protest suspension

Former Minority Whip of the House of Representatives, Rt Hon Samson Osagie, on Sunday described his pur­ported suspension along with 30 others by Edo State Chapter of the All Progres­sives Congress (APC) for alleged anti-party activities as an example of the impu­nity that has engulfed the party.

Hon Osagie was sus­pended with former Chair­man of the Local Govern­ment, Rolland Alari, Josef Omorotiomwan, Ekpenisi Omorotiomwan, and other prominent leaders of the APC in a letter signed by the state Secretary of the party, Chief Osaro Idah, wherein they were accused of working against their party in the September 28, 2016 governorship elec­tion.

According to him, the accusation is false and un­thought of as he was at the forefront of the campaign that brought in Mr Godwin Obaseki as Governor of the state.

Also, Hon Osagie noted that none of them that were suspended were called for fair hearing or was a com­mittee set up to investigate them.

The former lawmaker however urged everyone to discountenance his illegal suspension as it is doesn’t comply with Article 21 of the party’s constitution.

“Let me state clearly that as against my accusers par­ticularly Charles Idahosa, I followed the governor and the entire state cam­paign team to campaign throughout Edo South Senatorial District and eventually worked hard to ensure that the APC won overwhelmingly in my Unit 4 at Egba and the entire Ward 6 (Umagbae South) in Uhunmwode Lo­cal Government Area.

“Hon Charles Idahosa the mastermind of this suspension did not win his own unit in his community Ehor town. The results are there for everyone to see.

“It is important to let the public know that neither myself nor any of those allegedly suspended with me was ever invited by any organ of the party for the purpose of trial for alleged anti-party activities.” - The Authority