The All Progressive Congress (APC), in Edo State, on Thursday retook possession of its secretariat located on 59, Airport Road, in Benin City.
The development came four years after the party was alleged to have been forcefully evicted from the property by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in the year 2020.
The State PDP Chairman, Dr Tony Aziegbemi was on the premises at the time of the building takeover.
Aziegbemi was however escorted out of the secretariat by the Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Hon. Blessing Agbebaku.
Chairman of APC in the State, Emperor Jarrett Tenebe addressed journalists shortly after the secretariat takeover on Thursday in Benin City.
Tenebe explained that the property rightfully belonged to the APC because according to him, the party had renewed the rent for a period of 7 years before the PDP, with the help then Governor Godwin Obaseki, forcefully took it from them.
He noted: “About four years ago, APC made frantic effort to extend the rent of this particular building which has always been the office of the APC.
“If you search on Google, you will discover that this secretariat still reads “APC’s office”.
“The party in the state approached the national office to arrange so that we will be able to pay for more years for the rent of this facility. The national obliged us and sent us money to renew it for 7 years”.
“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.”
Continuing, Tenebe stated that the APC at the time complained to the Inspector General of Police, adding, that the IGP obliged the party to take over the secretariat.
According to him, “But because the Commissioner of Police in the State at the time was working hand-in-hand with the then Governor, they refused to allow us access.
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.
Contacted for comment, the Acting Publicity Secretary of PDP in Edo, Hon. Chris Nehikhare, simply said: “Our state Chairman will issue a statement shortly”.
Recall that the Nigerian Tribune on March 19, 2021 reported that the Court of Appeal, sitting in Benin City, set aside the judgment of the Federal High Court, delivered on July 13, 2020, which ruled against the relocation of the Edo State All Progressives Congress, APC, Secretariat from No.51, Airport Road, Benin City, to No.18, Ighiwiyisi Street, off Airport Road, Benin City.
At the heart of the crisis of confidence between Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State, then of the APC, and his erstwhile benefactor and predecessor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, the faction of the party loyal to Osgiomhole, who them the National Chairman of the party, had relocated the Secretariat from Airport Road, Benin, to a building off the Airport Road.
In doing that, the Oshiomhole group had informed the National Working Committee, NWC, headed by the former labour leader.
But that the state Deputy Chairman, Pastor Kenneth Asekhome, who the Oshimhole faction had claimed to have been expelled over alleged filing of numerous frivolous actions against the party which is against the Constitution of the APC, challenged the action at the Federal High Court to stop the relocation.
Asekhome who cited the impending Edo State gubernatorial election had claimed amongst others that sensitive information regarding the election might be lost if the relocation was allowed.
The Federal High Court in its judgment ruled in his favour.
Dissatisfied with the decision, the factional APC, through its Counsel, Dr West Idahosa, leading Douglas Ogbankwa, Famous Osawaru and others, appealed the decision to the Court of Appeal and distilled 7 issues in his brief for determination of the appeal.
The Appeal was however argued by Anderson Asemota, whom the Court praised for his industry and in raising recondite and novel issues of Law.
The Court In resolving the issues for determination in the Appeal held inter alia: that the issue of location or relocation of a political party Secretariat, dovetails into the domestic prism of the political party and the court has no jurisdiction whatsoever to interfere or decide for a political party where to locate or relocate its office or party Secretariat to.
Validating the expulsion of Kenneth Asekomhe from the APC, the court held that the 1st Respondent (Kenneth Asekomhe), having been expelled from the party, had no locus standi to institute the action against the party, holding that only valid members of a political party can question its decision governing its internal affairs.
Besides, the Court of Appeal further held that the action was a pre-election matter and was statute-barred as it was not filed within the 14 days constitutional threshold, as provided by Section 285 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,1999 (As Amended ), by the 4th Alteration.
Consequently, the Court of Appeal, in a judgement delivered by Justice Frederick Oziakpono Oho, allowed the appeal and set aside the decision of the Federal High Court.
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