http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/News/National/Military/5634675-147/trying_moments_for_edo_action_congress.csp

By Jethro Ibileke

October 26, 2010 12:44AM

This is certainly not the best of time for Edo State Action Congress of Nigeria. The party had experienced tranquility until recently, when the fever of membership registration threatens to turn the party to shreds.

The influx of a large number of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) seems to be responsible for the discontent in the Action Congress.

Riding on the back of Governor Adam Oshiomole's popularity, these former PDP members' sole aim is to clinch the ticket for re-election, with a do-or-die desperation. Two people have so far lost their lives in clashes allegedly attributed to this desperation.

At the centre of the latest crisis is the deputy speaker of Edo State House of Assembly, Paul Ohonbamu, and the chairman of Egor local government council, Crosby Eribo. The duo, who decamped from PDP into ACN, are locked in a re-election battle to the state House of Assembly and House of Representatives by attempting to forcefully hijack the ongoing party membership's registration process in the council area.

John Aigbogun, the chairman of Egor chapter of CAN and other local government chairmen in Edo south senatorial district, converged on the Oba Akenzua Cultural Centre, Benin City, on October 23, to receive party registration materials for their council areas, as instructed by ACN officials.

According to Mr. Aigbogun, it was during his turn to collect the cards when the party chairman in the state, Tony Omoaghe, secretary, Gentleman Amegor, and another official of the party from Abuja, identified as Mr. Momoh, allegedly noticed some suspected hoodlums who rushed into the venue with the intention of forcibly seizing the cards.

Distribution gone awry

"At that point, the party officials decided to suspend the distribution of the cards to forestall hijacking the process. They thereafter instructed me to come with the 10 ward chairmen to the party secretariat at Airport Road the following day to collect the cards," said Mr. Aigbogun.

During the meeting at the party secretariat on the following day, however, Mr. Paul Ohonbamu allegedly showed up with some hefty looking men and five policemen.

"We were surprised to see Paul Ohonbamu there. I did not know his mission to the place because he was not supposed to be there. He was not invited. He came with thugs and heavily armed policemen. He instructed the thugs that on no account should they allow the ward chairmen and secretary to go away with the registration materials since he was not sure of their support for him," Mr. Aigbogun said.

Having lost trail of Mr. Aigbogun who managed to escape, the hoodlums descended on other party members present with dangerous weapons. Several of them sustained various degrees of injuries. During the distribution of the cards, chairman of Ego local government council, Crosby Eribo, allegedly in connivance with Mr. Paul Ohonbamu, sent hoodlums to hijack the registration at the house of ward five chairman's house.

When contacted, Egor council boss, Crosby Eribo, admitted attacking the chairman of ward six, who took the registration exercise to his house, instead of the designated party secretariat. Mr. Paul Ohonbamu, however, did not pick calls on his mobile set.

Meanwhile, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has suspended its ongoing party registration exercise in some wards in the state due to a breach of the rules guiding the exercise.

The affected areas are Wards 4, 5, 6 and 10 in Egor local government area; Ward 3 in Etsako East local government area; and Ward 3 in Ovia North-East local government area (Ohen).

PDP is not the problem of this country but individual politicians.

The crooks in the PDP have found their way to the ACN, now we are seeing the drama.

This is a pointer to show that it is not just sacking PDP that we need to do in 2011 but to dislodge all unpopular candidates at the ballot.

If we go ahead and sack the PDP we will only bring a worse set of people.

Goodluck for president, Fashola for Gov lag, performing govs should be retained no matter their party, non performing govs should be shown the way out, Ribadu for Senate lets find credible people with popularity to take up elective posts and forget about the party affiliations then and only then would we be on our march to true democracy!!!