FROM IKHILI EBALU, BENIN CITY
Edo State chapter of Action Alliance, AA, has distanced itself from Tom Iseghohi-Okojie who on Sunday collapsed his ambition for the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Senator Monday Okpebholo.
Briefing newsmen in Benin City on Sunday, Iseghohi-Okojie said the decision to step down from the governorship race and support the APC candidate, Monday Okpebholo, was to unite with a capable political leader and party that has the sincere intention to develop Edo State.
But in reaction yesterday in a press statement signed by the state chairman of AA, Uwaifo Osaro, who doubled as the governorship candidate of the party, the party said Iseghohi-Okojie was an impostor and never a member of the party.
According to him, “By the grace of God, I am the State Chairman of Action Alliance and also doubled to be the gubernatorial candidate of the party.
“My party primary was conducted on February 21, 2024 the last day stipulated by Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for all political party to conduct their primaries, and INEC came and supervised Action Alliance party primary. I did not substitute for anybody as the governorship candidate of my party.
“Tom Iseghohi Okojie is an imposter; we don’t know him as member of AA in Edo. His local government area party chairman don’t know him, even the ward he claimed to be a member cannot even recognised him.
“Edo people should disregard that news that Tom Iseghohi Okojie as AA governorship candidate collapsed structure for All Progressives Congress candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo.
“When I emerged as the candidate of AA through primary supervised by INEC, my opposition then, Mr. Fredrick Ihinmwinhisi took me to court. I don’t know what INEC is doing.
“INEC was the one who sent me the Certified Through Copy, CTC, of the primary. If another primary was conducted which I am not privileged to, I would have known.
“As at last two weeks, my lawyer wrote to INEC for the change of name and they appealed that it was an error.
The Esan North-East Local Government Area chairman of AA, Onakhionor John Best also confirmed that Iseghohi-Okojie is not a member of Action Alliance in the local government, adding that he could not recognised him as a member of the party.
