By Simon Ebegbulem
BENIN—ARMED policemen yesterday averted what could have resulted into a bloody clash between factional leaders of the Labour Party in Edo State and their supporters, when a faction of the party led by a former chairman of Oredo Local Government Council of the state, Mr Sam Omede, stormed the state secretariat of the party calling for the removal of the embattled state chairman, Dr John Ogbeide.

While they were protesting at the secretariat, Ogbeide and his loyalists stormed the secretariat, insisting he remained the chairman of the party until the forthcoming congresses of the party where a new executive is expected to emerge.

But Omede and 15 other chairmen of the party in the local governments passed a vote of no confidence in the chairman, accusing him of failure to call congresses, alleged dictatorial tendencies and failure to make the finances of the party public in the past three years.

While the war of words was going on at the secretariat, armed policemen stormed the area and took over the secretariat.

A national leader of the party, Patrick Eholor, who arrived the scene, appealed for calm and urged supporters of both factions to avoid violence. However, a chieftain of the party and House of Assembly aspirant, Comrade Rabbi Egujie, berated the Omede faction for alleged attempt to create crisis in the party, asserting that “if they want to be chairman let them wait for the congress and not trying to cause confusion in the party.

We all know how Ogbiede laboured for this party for years before they joined the party.”

A communiqué signed by 15 out of the 18 local government councils, the 18 secretaries of the party in the local government councils, a state deputy chairman and the state  organizing secretary, which was made available to journalists yesterday, passed a vote of no confidence in Ogbeide, just as the party accused Governor Adams Oshiomhole of making members of the party “on lookers” in the affairs of his administration despite the alliance between the party and the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, in the state.

Comrade Osafona Irowa , the state organizing secretary, who addressed newsmen, complained bitterly about the misfortune of the party in the stated due to what he described as the dictatorial tendencies of Dr Ogbeide, adding that that  the authority and responsibility of the state executives was usurp by the chairman.

“You see all donations from well meaning Nigerians were all cornered by the state working committee led by the chairman.  All the chairmen have all agreed that they don’t want him any longer, he had been ineffective because of his style of leadership and does not accept questions, and we are all tired. Because under his leadership he is not interested in winning any election not even councillorship position in the state” he asserted.

However, Ogbeide who was booed by party members when he arrived the secretariat, told newsmen on telephone that “I don’t think there is any problem at all, the issue of congress is not to be determined by the state, it is the national leadership that will organize that and it will start from the ward level to the state and they have said we will do that after the tour of the entire local government are in the state which we are doing right now.

“ Ten states are holding their congresses now and it will be our turn after the tour. Those who came there today are paid agents, they are not members of our party, but I have to be calm about this, they do not have candidates who will fly the flag of the party in election. I know  the stakes are high and in will not allow anybody to ruin my reputation.

I am not afraid of congress they should wait for the congress as will be directed by the national secretariat, we are going to contest all the elective offices from the councilor to the senate in the state. I am not afraid of congress but they should wait for it” he said.