A Benin High Court on Friday restrained a faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State from removing from office, the APC chairman in the state, Anselm Ojezua.
The political fight between the state governor, Godwin Obaseki, and the APC national chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, has led to a factional crisis in Edo APC. Both leaders parted ways after Oshiomhole, a former governor of the state, helped Obaseki to succeed him as governor.
The Edo State APC chairman, Ojezua, who is an ally of Obaseki, was “removed” by the faction loyal to Oshiomhole.
Justice V.O.A. Oviawe of the Benin High Court 10, while ruling on a suit filed by Ojezua, granted an interim order that “the status quo as at 10/11/19 with regards to the chairmanship of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Edo State chapter, be maintained pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice praying for an order of interlocutory injunction”.
Information regarding the court order was contained in a press statement issued on Friday evening by the Edo State Government House.
Apart from Ojezua, other applicants in the case includes Kenneth Asekhomhe, the deputy chairman of APC in Edo and Aisosa Amadasun, the state organising secretary of APC in the state.
Lawrence Okah, the erstwhile secretary of the APC in Edo State, is among the defendants in the case.
The court would sit again on December 5 for hearing and determination of the main suit.
Ojezua’s faction recently announced the “suspension” of Mr Oshiomhole from APC in Edo state. The faction also removed the state secretary of the party, Okah, apparently for being loyal to Oshiomhole, prompting him (Mr Okah) to, in turn, team up with others to announce the removal of Ojezua from office as the state chairman of APC.
Okah and others had announced David Imuse, a retired army colonel, as a replacement for Ojezua.
Besides the APC structure in Edo, the Oshiomhole-Obaseki power tussle has also spread to the Edo State House of Assembly. More than 10 of the elected state lawmakers, who are yet to be inaugurated, are currently on self-exile in Abuja for fear of their safety in Edo.