Edo APC reclaims secretariat from PDP after four years

The All Progressives Congress (APC), Edo State chapter, on Thursday, took possession of its party secretariat at 59, Airport Road, Benin City, four years after it was forcefully evicted by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

APC State Chairman, Emperor Jarrett Tenebe, speaking shortly after the takeover of the party secretariat said the property rightfully belonged to the APC as they had renewed the rent for seven years before the PDP, with the help of Gov Godwin Obaseki, forcefully took it from them.

“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,” he said.

“At that time, we complained to the Inspector General of Police and he, in his wisdom agreed that we should take over the secretariat. But because the Commissioner of Police in the state was working hand in hand with the then Governor, they refused to allow us access. Then, I was the deputy chairman of APC.”

Speaking further, the party chairman said he came into 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 take over the state and to ensure that all the properties taken from the APC are returned to them,” he said.

“Some few months ago, there was 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.”

Jarrett said the APC will remodel the building into its official pattern and promised to resist any attempt by any group, or vested interest to displace them from the property, or any of their other properties.

“We are ready to resist anybody that will try to make any noise or try to do anything with everything that we have,” the party chairman concluded.

The Deputy Commissioner for Police in charge of Operations, Ben Abang, accompanied by other senior police officers was also at the newly reclaimed APC Secretariat to get a first-hand brief on the reclaiming of the office as he interacted with APC Chairman and other top party executives

The State PDP chairman, Dr Tony Aziegbemi, who was on the premises at the time of the building takeover, was later escorted out of the building by the Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Blessing Agbebaku