Newscenter Media News The leadership of the Edo State chapter of the All Progressive Congress, APC, said it has reclaimed the party’s secretariat four years after it was allegedly taken from it by the People’s Democratic Party, PDP.
DAILY POST reports that the caretaker committee chairman of PDP, Dr Anthony Aziegbemi, and the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Blessing Agbebaku, were at the premises of the secretariat when the APC took over the building.
Jarret Tenebe, the Acting State chairman of the party disclosed this to newsmen shortly after taking over the secretariat located at 59, Airport Road, Benin City.
Tenebe alleged that the party was forcefully evicted from the secretariat four years ago by the People’s Democratic Party.
He alleged that the property rightfully belonged to the APC as they had renewed the rent for a period of 7 years before the PDP, with the help of Gov Godwin Obaseki, forcefully took it from them.
He said the taking over of the secretariat from PDP was one of his promises to the party when he assumed the position of the State Acting Chairman.
Tenebe added that the other promise was to win the governorship election for the party.
“About four years ago, APC made a frantic effort to extend the rent of this particular building which has always been the office of the APC. If you search on google, you will discover that this secretariat still reads “APC’s office”.
The party in the state approached the national office to arrange so that we will be able to pay for more years for the rent of this facility. The national obliged us and sent us money to renew it for 7 years.
“The Governor then, Mr Godwin Obaseki decamped to PDP and in a military way, they took us out of this secretariat. Destroyed all our properties, took our vehicles and drove us out of this place.
“I came into the office with a commitment to reclaim the state and redress all the wrongs done by the PDP and Godwin Obaseki.
“The day I became the chairman of the party in the state, I made two promises to our party faithful to make sure that APC takes over the state and to ensure that all the properties taken from the APC are returned to them.
“Some few months ago, there was a governorship election in this state and everybody can attest to it that Senator Monday Okpebholo emerged as the governor of the state, fulfilling one of the promises I made to our party faithful.
“Today is the happiest day of my life, that I am fulfilling the second promise I made to my party to make sure that all the properties taken from APC are returned. That is why we are here today. To take over the secretariat that was forcefully taken from us.”
He said the party will remodel the building into its official pattern just as he vowed to resist any attempt by any group, or vested interest to displace them from the property, or any of their other properties.
“Today, we have taken over this secretariat. It belongs to us now, we are going to allocate offices today. We have also called the painters to repaint this place to APC color today, because this place rightfully belongs to us.
“We are ready to resist anybody that will try to make any noise or try to do anything with everything that we have,” he stated.
DAILY POST reported that the Deputy Commissioner for Police in charge of Operations, Ben Abang, accompanied by other senior police officers were also at the reclaimed APC Secretariat.
The DCP was said to be at the secretariat in order to get a first hand brief on the reclaiming of the office.
Tenebe said the caretaker committee chairman of PDP in the state, Dr Tony Aziegbemi, who was in the premises at the time of the taking over, was later escorted out of the building by the Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Blessing Agbebaku.
Edo: APC takes over secretariat from PDP 4 years after alleged eviction