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By Ozioruva Aliu

The leadership of the All Progressive Congress, APC, Ward 3, in Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State, has condemned the continuous attacks on the incumbent Senator of Edo North, Senator Francis Alimikhena, by those they described as sponsored thugs and self-acclaimed factional leaders of ward 3, despite the existence of an elected chairman and exco members.

The ward 3 leadership vowed, never to be indifferent to the ongoing macabre dance by some political merchants, to create division, tension, confusion and unrest in the affairs of ward 3, in their inordinate desire to tear the party apart, in fulfilment of their anti-party tendency, which is already obvious.

“We the elected Ward 3 executive, therefore, called on the national and state leadership of the APC to urgently restrict the self-acclaimed factional group from parading themselves as chairman and leaders of ward 3 respectively to avoid breakdown of law and order.”

At an enlarged ward 3 executive meetings, weekend, the newly elected Chairman, Chief Lucky Agbudumhe, insisted that “All malicious utterances against Senator Alimikhena are propagated by those who ought to hide their faces in shame, but rather are not hiding their faces, but raising their voices in arrogance, to demand another opportunity and right to return Edo North to Egypt and the era of rampage and wasteful spending, without the development of the Senatorial district and its human resources.

“It is disappointing that some sponsored thugs went ahead to organise a gathering of cronies to reject the ambition of the Senator, even when the Senator has never indicated an interest in 2023.”

They equally frowned at the mischievous and misleading publication against the Senator’s canvassers, even when such group does not exist, adding that Senator Alimikhena has not made any pronouncement to seek re-election in 2023, neither has he engaged any individual or group as canvassers.

“Democracy is a context. Whoever thinks himself better than the Senator should be bold enough to challenge him in a primary election, rather than the ongoing move to force him out of the race to justify selfish interest.

“While we have resolved to remain law-abiding, the leadership of APC ward 3 will not chicken out, if this issue escalates beyond this point.  We wish to also remind the Senator’s detractors, that Senator Alimikhena has offered a clean break from the corruption and poor representation that characterized Edo North, which laid siege to the development of the Senatorial district in the past.

“The incumbent Senator came as an awaited saviour to deliver Edo North from poor legislative leadership, by removing Edo North out of the grip and jinx of underdevelopment,” they declared.