The Edo State Chapter of the All Progressive Congress, APC has expelled for minority whip of the Federal House of Representatives, Hon. Samson Osagie and 10 others over anti party activities.
Recall that the Uhumwonde LGA had on April 5 set up a disciplinary committee at the Edo south senatorial district chapter to investigate the allegations of anti party activities levied again the 11 members of the party within some LGAs in Edo south.
In the committee’s report released to Truth Live News on Wednesday, other members who were expelled and suspended include, Hon. Roland Alari, Barr. Felix Alari, Mr. Simon Uduogie, Mrs. Esohe Idemudia, Hon. Samson R. Osagie, Mr. Monday Guobadia, Mr. Nelson Gomez Iserhienrhien, Mr. Festus Iyekeoretin., Hon. Jolly Iyekeoretin, Mr. Evans Ozabor and Mr. Williams Amadin.
According to the report signed my the Committee’s Secretary, Barr Dan Osa-Ogbegie and it’s Chairman, Prof David Osifo and other members of the committee, “Mr. Simon Uduogie refused to attend the meeting with the Committee. Same for Mr. Evans Ozabor, Mr. Monday Guobadia and Hon. Samson R. Osagie”
The report stated that “Hon. Samson R. Osagie sent letters from his solicitors, the Law Firm of Omo. Osadiaye & Co. written to the State Chairman of the Party, to the Committee. He also sent his personally signed letter to the LGA Chairman of the Party to the commitee and the letter from his ward executive of the Party to the State Chairman was also sent to the Committee.”
The report reads in parts;
“During the Committee’s meeting with the alleged offenders, Hon. Samson R. Osagie called the phone of the Secretary of the Committee to say he was willing to interact with the Committee via teleconference and was obliged. The Chairman of the Commitee called him back after the Committee’s engagements with all the others who physically attended the meeting.”
“When questions were put to Hon. Samson Osagie, he declined responding to the questions and elected to reply in writing within 24 hours, which the Committee, again, graciously allowed. “
“After our thorough investigations, reviews and considerations of the various petitions, information and defences, the Committee arrived at the following conclusions and would make its final recommendations considering each alleged offender seriatim”
Hon. Roland Alari.
Hon. Roland Alari was two time Chairman of Uhunmwode Local Government Council under the PDP and the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria, precursor to the All Progressives Congress.
He has been leader of his Ehor ward (Ward1) for many years and presently State Auditor of the Party.
The case against him is that he refused to attend leaders meeting; refused to attend any local government and ward campaigns; refused to make financial contributions to the Party in the local government, his ward and his unit; that he was among those who shared in the 30 million Naira the PDP shared in Ehor ward on the eve of the House of Assembly election; he openly canvassed for votes against the party in his unit on the day of election for the House of Assembly ; that he organised a party in his house at Ehor to celebrate the loss of the party in his unit and ward in the House of Assembly election, singing songs to mock the party.
The petition against him emanated from his unit, signed by a party member.
In his response, Hon. Roland Alari agreed he did not participate in the campaigns leading to the last set of elections in the local government. He also agreed that he did not attend leaders meetings to finalise campaign programmes due to fuel scarcity. He also said he did not make any financial contributions to the Party.
It must be noted that Hon. Alari lost all 2023 elections in his unit as follows:
Presidential
APC – 21
LP – 91
PDP – 17
Senate
APC – 21
LP – 81
PDP – 27
House Of Reps.
APC – 27
LP – 77
PDP – 23
EDHA
APC – 15
LP – 43
PDP – 45
During the course of investigation, the Committee also discovered that Hon. Roland Alari has a history of working against this Party. Election results in his unit in 2016 and 2020 were pointers to this assertion by some party members in his ward who pleaded anonymity.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Hon. Roland Alari has benefited much from this Party and still occupies a senior position in the Party. Much are expected from him, but he has not giving this Party what the Party deserves and it does not appear, from his antecedents, that he can give much to this Party going forward.
We hereby recommend that he should be stripped off the Party office he presently occupies and expelled from the Party forthwith to create room for others with the passion to work for the Party.
Barr. Felix Alari
Barr. Felix Alari votes in unit 13 of Ehor ward ( Ward 1). He was Federal Commissioner, Complaint Commission under the All Progressives Congress. He was accused of losing interest in Party activities having not participated in leaders meeting, campaigns and other Party activities.
He was also accused of openly campaigning against the Party in his unit and partaking of the thirty Million Naira the PDP shared in Ehor ward and being complicit in the criminal change of the 46 votes the PDP got to 246.
In his response, he denied all the allegations, but agreed that the party lost his unit in all the election. He agreed that after he voted in his unit on the day of the House of Assembly election, he left the unit and went to his orchard to inspect it. That the APC scored 7 in his unit while the PDP scored 46. That he was surprised to see the PDP result changed to 246 on the INEC portal. That he was the one who called the attention of the Party and candidates to it.
RECOMMENDATIONS
After reviewing the petition and allegations against him and his responses, the committee is of the opinion that he has not acted as a senior Party member that he is and that he did not represent the Party in the best possible way fitting of his status and in ways commensurate with what he has benefited from the Party. The Committee is nevertheless pleased with the way he promptly brought it to the attention of Party Chairman, candidates and leaders the change of the PDP result in his unit and would recommend that the Party pardon him on that account and restore him to full Party membership with a warning to be more attuned with Party activities in the future.
Mr. Simon Uduogie
Simon Uduogie votes in Ugiamwen in Ehor ward. The allegation against him is that he openly campaigned against the Party on the day of election in his polling centre. The Committee through the secretary put a call across to him to invite him for a meeting. He openly stated that he was no more interested in the affairs of the Party as one Chief Sunday Erhunmwunsee was always used to emasculate him in ugianmwen by Hon. Roland Alari. That his family advised him to quit politics as a result of the various shenanigans of Chief Erhunmwunsee.
Our further investigations confirmed the veracity of his assertions and the reason why he turned against the party on the House of Assembly Election Day. He won his unit for the Party in the Presidential and NASS elections and was very dedicated to the Party until he could no more accept being relegated in favour of Chief Erhunmwunsee, who he contended is not from Ugianmwen.
RECOMMENDATION
We recommend that the Party reaches out to Simon Uduogie and assures him of integration and recognition as he would be an asset for the party when so integrated and recognised.
Mrs. Esohe Idemudia
She has been LGA woman leader, Councilor and supervisory Councilor all under the defunct AC and ACN precursors to the APC.
The Petition against her also emanated from her ward.
She is the leader of APC in ward 3, Uhunmwode and was National delegate to the last Presidential election primaries of the Party in Abuja.
The petitioner stated that Mrs. Idemudia is the major problem of APC in Igieduma ward. That she arrested some Party faithful like Mr. Kelly Egharevba which led to their decamping from the Party.
That she was in the USA at the beginning of campaigns and refused to participate in campaign even after she came back to Nigeria.
That she did not donate any money to the campaign even after enjoying the opportunity as National delegate in the Presidential primaries.
That she canvassed votes for the PDP to win Igieduma ward. That perusal of her unit and ward results eloquently point to her acts of sabotage against the Party that has done much for her. The petition also mentioned that she collected money from Governor Godwin Obaseki’s PDP in the House of Assembly election.
In her responses to the Committee, she agreed that she did not campaign for the Party and did not make financial contributions to the Party because she was not aware of any campaign. She agreed that she did not attend any leadership meeting by the Party for the election. She went on to agree that she lost all the four elections in her unit and ward this year.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Mrs. Esohe Idemudia can hardly be differentiated from the politics of Hon. Roland Alari. They work together on all things politics.
The Committee discovered that she stayed in her vehicle during the election for President and NASS and worked with PDP in the House of Assembly election.
We hereby recommend that she should be expelled from the Party as her continued stay will send signals to genuine Party members in her ward and unit that disloyalty pays in the APC.
Hon. Samson R. Osagie
Hon. Samson Osagie was two time member of the Edo State House of Assembly under the PDP and a two time member of the House of Representatives under the PDP and the ACN, a precursor to the APC. He also became an Executive Director of a federal government agency under the current APC government of Muhammadu Buhari.
The allegations against him were contained in a petition by a member of the Party from his ward and other allegations made by Party members and other people who worked with the Party in the last election as follows:
That he is from Egba , Umagbae South Ward 06, Uhunmwode LGA.
That he used to vote in unit 004, Aguebor Primary school, Egba but now vote in unit 15 of same Egba.
That he was appointed as the Assistant Deputy Director, Contact and Mobilization South-South, Presidential Campaign Council (PCC).
That he did not attend Leaders meetings and all invitations to him were always turned down even when he is in Benin.
That after series of absenteeism from the leaders meetings, he came home from Abuja one day and called selected leaders to his house in Benin for a meeting without the consent of the LGA Chairman. The meeting was aborted when the leaders he invited discovered it was a factional meeting. After the failed meeting, he came back to Benin to inaugurate his contact and mobilization team and the coordinator he appointed in Uhunmwode, one Augustine Omoroghomwan (his hitherto loyal supporter) from his ward defected to PDP few days after the inauguration.
That he, Hon. Samson Osagie never participated in any of the APC’s unit to unit LGA campaigns. That he did not contribute a dime to our campaigns fundraising. That he lost all the three Elections that were conducted on 25th Feb in his unit and ward by high margins.
On the eve of the House of Assembly Elections; which was Friday 17th March, that he, Hon. Samson Osagie was seen in Rialto hotel, Eyaen at night holding a meeting with some of his ward Leaders including Mrs. Betty Iyayi, LGA Assistant Women leader, Barr. Uyi Ediale, LGA Legal adviser among others. It was gathered that it was in that meeting he concluded plans to sabotage APC and work in favour of the opposition in their various units.
It is confirmed that he, Hon. Osagie called Hon. Stanley Otabor one of the Legacy PDP members who had agreed to work for the APC that he had resolved to work for PDP and that he (aforementioned Stanley Otabor) should join.
It is also confirmed that he told one Mr. Igbinidu, a legacy PDP member that he should work for PDP when he (Igbinidu) was ready to work for the APC following prior arrangement the APC made with his PDP group. That the said Mr. Igbinudu was called by Hon. Charles Idahosa and he confirmed it to Hon. Charles Idahosa.
In his polling unit on the House of Assembly Election Day, it was confirmed by some voters that Hon. Osagie told them to vote for the opposition PDP and when he was asked why, he said that was the order and that the PDP candidate was born at Egba and from neighbouring community, so Egba people must support their own. That was how APC lost the election to PDP.
The APC lost his unit in the Presidential, Senate, House of Representatives and House of Assembly elections. The Committee sought to know from Hon. Samson Osagie how this was possible, given his level and status, if he did not sabotage the Party.
Some Party members from his ward told the Committee that this was not the first time Samson Osagie was sabotaging the party. That in the last governorship election where he was the DG Edo South Senatorial District, he also sold out the APC as the party lost his unit and ward.
Hon. Samson Osagie responded to each of these allegations by way of an extensive written reply hereby attached to this recommendation. Suffice to say that they were expected denials, twists and turns that could not exculpate him from liability. For instance, he opined that losing election was not novel and he was not the only leader who lost election. That the National Chairman lost his unit. Our concern was not because anyone lost his unit, but that certain people deliberately worked to sabotage the Party which we found in the attitude Hon. Osagie displayed in this election.
For the avoidance of doubts, below are the unit results of Hon. Samson R. Osagie in the elections conducted this year:
Presidential
APC – 23
LP – 107
PDP – 05
Senate
APC – 41
LP – 80
PDP – 27
House of Reps
APC – 44
LP – 84
PDP – 19
EDHA
APC – 17
LP – 09
PDP – 49
Looking at the unit results of Hon. Samson Osagie, it is hard not to see sabotage against the APC.
Hon. Osagie worked assiduously to undermine the work of this committee by mobilising Party members and the executive of his ward to sit on appeal against the Local Government chapter of the Party. His various letters to the State chapter and the Chairman of Uhunmwode APC were calculated to undermine and intimidate the Party to submit to his whims. A Party that desires to be strong and win elections cannot allow that as no one should be allowed to be bigger than the Party.
He also launched media attacks against the party and this Committee, using the Edo APC WhatsApp groups where he recruited known renegade Party supporters to unleash verbal attacks on Party leaders and members of the Committee and shared misleading reports on the reversal of his suspension by his ward. We expected better from a man of his experience and status.
RECOMMENDATIONS
After a holistic view of the allegations against Hon. Samson R. Osagie and his reply, looking at his antecedents of always rocking the boat when he loses out in internal Party contestation and the unimpeached allegation that he worked for the Labour Party in the National elections and the PDP in the House of Assembly election, we hereby recommend that Hon. Samson R. Osagie be expelled from this Party to allow Party members in Uhunmwode focus more on the Party and implement strategies of winning elections. It is better not to have a pocket than to have a leaking pocket.
Mr. Monday Guobadia.
The Petition against Hon. Samson Osagie alleged that all the acts of sabotage by Hon. Osagie enjoyed the imprimatur of Mr. Monday Guobadia, who acted as the foot soldier of Hon. Osagie.
Mr. Guobadia ignored the invitation extended to him and made no attempt to defend himself against the overwhelming grave allegations against him. He went further to attempt to undermine the Committee by rallying his ward Leaders and executive members to rebel against constituted Party authorities in gestapo style. The Committee found his attitude arrogant and reprehensible.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Mr. Guobadia had no defence to the allegations against him and left no room for this Committee than to recommend his expulsion from the Party.
Mr. Nelson Gomez Iserhienrhien.
Mr. Gomez was Secretary of the Party in the local government until the allegations and consequent suspension.
The allegations against him were contained in a report of the House of Assembly election signed by three Party members in the ward. Some of the critical allegations against Mr. Nelson Gomez Iserhienrhien from this report were that 1. That Gomez went with one Osadolo to eguaeholo community on the day preceding the House of Assembly election to campaign against the APC House of Assembly candidate in favour of the PDP candidate who he claimed was his friend; 2. That Gomez gave money and clothes to people at Eguaeholo to vote for PDP and hired thugs to ensure APC members did not vote; 3. That during voting at unit 1, he openly told people to vote PDP, that he would destroy ballot papers if PDP did not win that unit; 4. That Engr. Martins Osakue had to call Hon. Washington Osifo to come quickly to talk to Gomez; 5. That Washington Osifo and Mr. Edo Asia’s attempt at talking to Gomez fell on deaf ears; 6. That Gomez wore the AA agent tag; 7. That Gomez joined the PDP members to use Police purportedly from Government House to cause problem in that unit to stop APC’s impending overwhelming victory as recorded in the previous election; 8. That this report was also made at the Ehor Divisional Police Station who could not do much to stop the attacks which were recorded on video.
Other allegations against Gomez were that he refused to participate in Party activities, meetings and campaigns; and that he visited Government House to collect money to work for PDP.
In his response, Mr. Iserhienrhien denied most of the allegations against him, but complained that the APC House of Assembly candidate refused to carry him along and told him that he would win his (Gomez) unit with or without his support.
He claimed that he wore the AA tag because he did not know the APC agent and wanted to help the APC by wearing another Party’s tag.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The video evidence against Mr. Nelson Gomez Iserhienrhien freely shared on social media platforms are overwhelming and can’t be discountenanced. We see his denial as lame and an afterthought. The Party cannot move ahead with such elements holding commanding positions. He should not only been removed as LGA Secretary of our great Party, but should be expelled without much ado.
Mr. Festus Iyekeoretin
He is the current ward Chairman of Isi South (Ward 8). The petition against him made allegations against him and his brother Mr. Jolly Iyekeoretin, who was the youth leader of the party in the LGA, now late (rest in peace to him).
It alleges that he refused to provide leadership for the ward, did not call for meetings and did not participate in election, having collected money from the Edo State Government to work for the PDP candidate in the House of Assembly election.
In his response, he denied all the allegations and claimed that he was arrested by the Police at Okhuaihe on the day of the House of Assembly election. The ward 10 chairman also appeared before the Committee to support this claim, as he resides very close to Okhuaihe.
In the course of investigation, the Committee found that he was indeed in Government House and that the plan was for him not to attend the House of Assembly election. Party members we interviewed said they knew about this plan on the eve of election and tried to foil it to no avail. They vehemently said his alibi of being arrested by the Okhauihe Police was a lie. Our findings revealed that nobody was arrested by Okhauihe Police on the said day, as no such arrest was documented. The ward 10 Chairman therefore lied to the Committee to try and help a colleague Chairman.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The Committee finds that Mr. Festus Iyekeoretin is complicit in the allegations against him and recommends that he should be stripped off his Chairmanship position and expelled from the Party.
Hon. Jolly Iyekeoretin
He was the youth leader until his demise few weeks ago after protracted illness. May his soul rest in peace.
RECOMMENDATIONS
HE should be granted post-mortem pardon by the Party, given his previous works and contributions to the growth of the Party.
Mr. Evans Ozabor
He was invited but failed to attend the meeting with the committee. From his demeanor, it is clear he does not want to be in this Party anymore.
The allegation against him was that he collected money from our Party to work for the APC in his unit where he is the unit leader and agent on election day. The APC scored just 02 votes in that unit while the PDP scored 56 in the House of Assembly election. He openly boasted to Party members that he was proud to work against the Party in his unit and deliver for the PDP.
RECOMMENDATIONS
He should be expelled as member while another person replaces him in the LGA Exco the Party graciously elected him into.
Mr. William Amadin
He is the Ward Chairman of isi North (Ward 7).
The Petition against him emanated from his ward by a Party member who accused him of calling a ward meeting and giving out instructions to APC members to work for PDP that there was no way in APC, after collecting the sum of three hundred thousand Naira from the PDP.
He denied the allegation and we could not find support to substantiate the allegation that he did call that meeting, but there are further evidence he gave instruction to some APC members to work for PDP in the House of Representatives elections and the Presidential election. On the allegation that he collected Three hundred thousand Naira from the PDP, our investigations revealed this was not possible.
His joining some ward Chairmen to cause insurrection in the Party by writing joint petitions to undermine the work of this committee should however be investigated by the Party and appropriate sanctions thereafter imposed.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Our recommendation is that for instructing some Party members to vote against the Party, Mr. Amadin can no more be trusted to superintend over Party matters in that ward. He should be suspended for six months and removed as chairman immediately.