BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

BENIN—LEADERS of All Progressives Congress, APC, in Edo State, yesterday, reacted to the resignation of some members of the party, saying that those who resigned their membership of the party were desperate for power ahead of the 2016 governorship election.

The group loyal to the former South-South Vice-Chairman of the party, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, resigned their membership of the party, Monday, citing alleged refusal by the leadership of the party in the state to cancel the ward and council congresses which they described as flawed.

However, two former chairmen of Egor Local Government Area and chieftains of APC, Mr. Crosby Eribo, John Akhigbe and other leaders of the party from Etsako Central Local Government Area, said that the resignation of the members was hasty, insisting that they may have made up their minds to leave the party long ago.

“It is all about 2016 which is still too far. This is desperation. The truth is that some of the demands made by the aggrieved members were just ridiculous. How can you ask a governor to sack some of his aids and cancel the entire congresses and the next thing you do is fly to Abuja to negotiate with the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and you claim you wanted to remain in the party. That is not true.

“That is why we said that their resignation is more for personal interest, and not for the interest of the party. If it was for the party, they would have consulted widely without being in a rush. Where on earth will you give a governor ultimatum to sack his close aids and he will listen to you? You will recall that APC national leadership gave the governors the structure of the party in their states.”