By Gabriel Enogholase

BENIN—SUSPENDED Publicity Secretary of All Progressives Congress, APC, in Edo State, Mr. Godwin Erhahon, has reacted to his three months suspension by state chapter of the party for allegedly criticizing former Governor Adams Oshiomhole, saying he stood by his words that the former governor should not be made the party’s national chairman.

It will be recalled that the state chairman of the party, Mr. Anslem Ojezua, said the party’s Publicity Secretary, was suspended for making utterances considered as embarrassment to the party.

However, Erhahon, in a statement, yesterday, in Benin, said:  “To avoid any doubt and controversy, I announce by myself, that I have been suspended as State Publicity Secretary of my party for three months by my State Executive Committee over my interview that was published in a magazine on December 26, 2016.

My colleagues were provoked first by the headline which gave the impression that I spoke in that interview on their behalf whereas it was my personal opinion. I here-by admit that in that interview, I spoke in my personal capacity. Specifically, that I am opposed to any attempt to replace Chief John Odigie-Oyegun with Comrade Adams Oshiomhole as National Chairman of APC.

“But I believe Comrade Oshiomhole deserves a place in the Federal Government, not as the party’s National Chairman.  I stand by that position. I have earlier retracted my previous reaction to the allegation that my State Chairman was given N10 million naira to mobilize my colleagues to impeach me.

“I did not initiate the statement and I have since realized that those who gave me the information were being mischievous. The fact that they could not stand by their words is enough proof that they lied against my state chairman to me. I regret that they misled me to hurt my State Chairman. To him, I apologize. As a democrat, I appreciate the knowledge and experience from the episode as I have reasons to appreciate my state Chairman, Mr. Ojezua, better. The public should not interpret my suspension as sign of crisis in the party. Rather, it is a normal development in a democracy.”