Members of the All Progressives Congress in Ohuan Ward 9, Orhionmwon Local Government Area of Edo State, on Tuesday, staged a protest at the party’s state secretariat in Benin, alleging the imposition of a councillorship candidate ahead of the forthcoming local government election.
The protesters, led by the ward’s consensus candidate, Mr Sunday Erhabor, accused unnamed individuals of attempting to substitute his name, despite his endorsement by party leaders in the ward.
Addressing journalists during the protest, Erhabor maintained that his emergence followed due process and was unanimously agreed upon by all five aspirants and party stakeholders in the ward.
He, however, expressed surprise over reports that another candidate’s name had been forwarded to the party secretariat.
While expressing loyalty to the party leadership, Erhabor stressed that he would only accept any reversal of his candidacy if it followed a collective decision by ward leaders.
He said, “I am the consensus candidate endorsed by the ward executives and leaders of Ohuan Ward 9. This decision was reached on March 22 in the presence of all aspirants, and we all agreed.
“It is surprising that after the leaders have taken a decision, someone is trying to override it by submitting another person’s name.
“For me, it is not a do-or-die affair. If the leaders who endorsed me meet again and decide otherwise, I will abide by their decision, but not that of an individual,” he stated.
The protesters carried placards bearing various inscriptions, calling on the party leadership to uphold internal democracy and respect the decision reached at the ward level.
The state Assistant Secretary of the party, Sam Oboh, who addressed the aggrieved members, assured them that the leadership would look into the matter and convene a meeting of all stakeholders to resolve the dispute.
He reiterated the party’s commitment to due process and urged members to remain calm while efforts were made to address their concerns.
Oboh said, “I can assure that the complaint will be looked into as the party is committed to due process.”