Tension, Intrigues In APC As Panel Comes Under Pressure To Prune Edo Aspirants To Six

Tension is enveloping the Edo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC following pressures on the Professor Julius Ihonvbere-led committee assessing the 29 declared governorship aspirants to prune the ten men it recommended to partake in the party’s primaries to six.

GWG.ng reports that of the ten aspirants recommended, four are from Edo South and three each from Edo North and Edo Central Senatorial districts.

The Ihonnvbere committee is expected to meet this evening where the report of the committee is expected to be adopted.

However, ahead of the meeting GWG.ng reliably gathered that the committee is under pressure to further prune down the list to six with two aspirants coming from each of the three senatorial districts, a move that is stoking tension around the APC in Edo State.

Among the four shortlisted from Edo South by the committee were Dennis Idahosa, Lucky Imasuen, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu and General Charles Airhiavbere in no particular order.

The three recommended from Edo North in no particular order were erstwhile minister of National Planning, Prince Clem Agba, Prince Kassim Afegbua and Dr Ernest Umakhihe, who recently retired as a permanent secretary in the Federal Civil Service.

From Edo Central, the three recommended were Festus Ebea, former APC state chairman, Dave Imuse and Senator Monday Okpebholo.

Former governor of the state, Senator Osehreinmen Osunbor was shockingly not listed among the three aspirants recommended from Edo Central.

However, ahead of the meeting with the enlarged party leadership where Senator Adams Oshiomhole is expected to preside, the Ihonvbere  Committee it was gathered, was coming under strong pressure to reduce the number of aspirants to six with two coming from each of the three senatorial districts.

The move sources revealed, aims to remove at least some of the aspirants that may not be too pliable to the unofficial party leadership in the state.

It was gathered that the committee is under pressure to drop General Airhiavbere and Pastor Ize-Iyamu in Edo South, and also drop Prince Afegbua in Edo North. The committee is also said to be under pressure to drop Ebea and present Senator Okpehelo and Imuse from Edo Central.

The development is already causing apprehension within the party with insinuation that the adoption of Imuse and Okpebhelo would edge out the Old Agabzillo, the area of Esan land that is yet to produce the governor of the state.

GWG.ng reports that Prof Ambrose Alli and Prof Osunbor the only two Esan sons to serve as governor from the state are from the Old Okpeho side of Esan Land.

Meanwhile, the apparent move to edge out General Airhiavbere and  Pastor Ize-Iyamu the only two Benin sons to have run impactful governorship campaigns in recent times and with strong name recognition is being received with shock in party circles.

Airhiavbere, a former Army General, is believed not to be in the good books of a major party leader over their rivalry in the past while Pastor Ize-Iyamu who is believed to have strong connections around the state and with a capacity to win the election for the party, it is feared, may not be too loyal if he becomes governor.

No reason was given for the decision to push out Prince Afegbua, a man who had in recent engagements in the public arena sometimes trudged independent pathways from the establishment as reflected in his resignation from the Oshiomhole government in its first term.

Concerned stakeholders were fearful that the decision to target personalities could not just fuel tension in the Edo chapter of the APC but worsen the plight of the party and give room for the PDP or another party to forge ahead.

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