Controversy trails alleged lopsided appointments by Edo APC scribe in Oredo

Tension is brewing in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State following allegations that the State Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Lawrence Okah, has cornered all major political appointments in the council area to favour his own ward.

A group of persons under the aegis of 'Concerned Stakeholders' from the local government has accused the party scribe of using his office to promote only Ward 7, where he hails from, while allegedly sidelining the other eleven wards in the sharing of party and government positions.

Members of the group alleged that virtually all strategic appointments in Oredo LGA, both at the party level and in the state administration, have been concentrated in Ward 7, leaving the rest of the wards without meaningful representation or participation in governance.

The group claimed that Mr. Okah currently serves as the State Secretary of the APC while also ensuring that his associates from Ward 7 occupy other key positions, including the Local Government Party Chairman, LGA Assistant Treasurer, LGA Publicity Secretary, and the current member representing Oredo West in the Edo State House of Assembly.

They further alleged that a member of the Edo State Produce Board and the representative of Edo South on the State Oil and Gas Board, said to be Mr. Okah’s son, are also from Ward 7, along with three senior special assistants and two special assistants attached to the Speaker of the State House of Assembly.

The list also reportedly includes 15 revenue collectors working under the local government and the current Supervisory Councillor of Oredo LGA, all of whom, the group insisted, were chosen solely from Ward 7.

According to the stakeholders, this one-sided distribution of appointments is not only undemocratic but also dangerous for the unity and internal cohesion of the party in Oredo. 

They argued that excluding other wards from the political equation is a violation of the principles of equity, fairness and justice.

What has further heightened tension, they said, is the alleged move by Mr. Okah to impose Mr. Gabriel Iduderi, popularly known as Gabros, also from Ward 7, as the consensus candidate for the forthcoming local government chairmanship election.

They alleged that Mr. Okah has been boasting within party circles that he enjoys the listening ear of Governor Monday Okpebholo and that no decision concerning Oredo is taken without his input.

The group, while reaffirming their loyalty to the party and the state government, called on the governor to intervene swiftly and halt what they described as a dangerous trend of political exclusion.

They appealed to Governor Okpebholo to use his office to ensure that other wards in Oredo are given the opportunity to serve and to produce the next chairman of the local government in the spirit of fairness and inclusiveness.

The aggrieved stakeholders expressed optimism that the governor, known for his firm stance on due process and equity, would not allow the current imbalance to persist.

Efforts to reach Mr. Lawrence Okah for his response to the allegations were unsuccessful as of press time. 

Party sources, however, said that the issue is generating quiet concern within the APC leadership in Edo State as the local government elections approach.

Observers say how the party handles the situation in Oredo could have wider implications for its grassroots support base and internal democratic credentials in the state.