A faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo South, on Tuesday, put National Chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole, on notice, warning him not to hold any rally in the South.

The warning is coming on the heels of a rally last Saturday at Auchi, where Oshiomhole received over 30,000 defectors from the Peoples Democratic Party into the APC.

Addressing journalists in Benin yesterday, Governor Godwin Obaseki Political Adviser, Monday Osaigbovo, wondered why the law enforcement agencies allowed the Auchi rally to hold in spite of ‘a current ban on political rallies’ in the state.

“We are putting Oshiomhole on notice that from now on, it is not what he thinks, we want to tell him that it is all over.

“We would not allow that in Edo South. If he has done it and succeeded, we would not allow it in Edo South.

“We will resist Oshiomhole, he will not come here and try to play demigod,” Osaigbovo said, alleging that their people were attacked at the Auchi rally.

On why the Edo APC crisis is proving difficult to resolve, Osaigbovo alleged that it is because the national chairman that is supposed to be the arbiter is an interested party.

He further alleged that Oshiomhole was the one who set up the Edo Peoples Movement, saying “we don’t trust him, we do not recognise him as a member of APC in Edo State because he has been suspended from his ward and up to the state level,” just as he accused the APC national chairman of factionalising the party in the state.

Asked why Obaseki has rejected peace efforts so far, Osaigbovo said: “We are waiting for the Presidency to set up a committee, we are very very open for reconciliation.”

He said APC in the state was now a more organised party. He denied that Obaseki was begging leaders of the party over his second term bid, but insisted that 95 percent of the leaders were with the governor, who he claimed was in control of all organs of the party.

Reacting to Osaigbovo’s allegations, factional state Publicity Secretary of the party, Chris Azebamwan, said APC is guided by a constitution and Iyoha is not an official of the party and he is therefore not qualified to speak for the party.

“In order not to be guilty of contempt, there are so many information I would have said but only the court will ultimately take a decision on that,” he said.

On the allegation that Oshiomhole organised a rally to attack the people, he said: “Nobody organises a marriage ceremony and then disrupts the reception, it defies logic. However, what is the business of government in organising political party rallies?

“The state executive of the party organises rally and then you say the same organisers will go and disrupt it? When has it become the responsibility of the state government to organise party rally? They should face governance and administration.

“On the day of the rally, the Chairman of Estako Central, John Akhigbe, organised a rally in Fugar so what is the big deal. Is it even proper that the state executive of your party is organising a rally and a local government area chairman will organise another rally on the same day?” (Daily Sun)

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