Fresh details have emerged on the circumstances surrounding the removal of the Managing Director of Edo Line by Governor Monday Okpebholo, with strong indications that the decision is rooted in internal political realignments within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State.
According to credible party sources, the sacked Managing Director is a known loyalist of Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, the former two-time governorship candidate of the APC, popularly referred to as POI. This development has fueled intense political speculation across the state, with several political watchers already permutating and insinuating that there may be an emerging crack in the relationship between Governor Okpebholo and Ize-Iyamu.
Sources close to the two APC leaders disclosed that the removed MD, Tiyan, was Ize-Iyamu’s preferred candidate for the Edo Line position. The contest for the role reportedly pitched nominees backed by different power blocs within the party, notably those aligned with Ize-Iyamu and those linked to Adams Oshiomhole.
However, an insider who spoke on condition of anonymity revealed that Ize-Iyamu’s camp initially appeared to have the upper hand, largely due to POI’s visible and strategic support for Governor Okpebholo during the party’s governorship primaries. That backing was said to have strengthened his influence in early post-election appointments.
The sudden sack of Tiyan has therefore been interpreted by many within political circles as a significant signal that the balance of power within the Edo APC may be shifting, or at the very least, that earlier political understandings are being reassessed. While neither the governor nor Ize-Iyamu has publicly commented on the matter, the development has continued to generate intense debate within the party and beyond.
As events unfold, observers say the coming weeks will reveal whether this move is an isolated administrative decision or the first visible sign of deeper political recalibration within the ruling party in Edo State.
