…Say Political Movement From Grace To Grass
Edo State chapter of the All Progressive Congress (APC) have reacted to the resignation letter of the former speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Hon. Elizabeth Ativie from the party, said that her movement is what the party regard as ‘From grace to grass’.
Hon. Ativie had yesterday, 6th September, 2023 tendered resignation letter to the party chairman and subsequent address newsmen to state her reasons, which she said include rifts in the party both in Uhunmwonde/Orhionmwon local government areas and Edo State chapter.
In a press statement issued and signed by the State Publicity Secretary of the Party, Prince Peter Uwadiae Igbinigie, opined that, Ativie in connivance with her political co-travellers futilely attempted to change the submitted name of Dr. (Chief) Billy Osawaru duly recognized by the party and INEC that monitored the party’s primary with her name, an act that is not only an electoral fraud, which is an infraction on the party constitution, the Electoral Act, 2022 and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended, but also a desperate and calculated attempt to bring the Edo Stste chapter of the party to disrepute.
Part of the statement reads, “The Edo State APC was inundated with the vilifying, puerile, hollow and empty letter concocted by Hon. (Mrs.) Elizabeth Ativie as her rationale for exiting our great party, the APC.
“To situate her issue in proper podium, it will be most edifying to inform our teeming members and the general public particularly the curious and informed minds, that her purported resignation from our party was a failed face saving move to cover her sinister, clandestine and aborted surreptitious move to bring our great party to ridicule, odium, opprobrium and manifest disrepute.
“It will interest the curious public to know that APC conducted the freest, fairest primaries and convention to elect our respective candidates to the various political positions throughout the federation.
“In the primary for the Orhionmwon/Uhunmwonde Federal Constituency, Hon. (Mrs.) Elizabeth Ativie participated and came a distant 3 and last in the same election, ably won by Dr. (Chief) Billy Osawaru.”
“Our party was thrown into political consternation and aghast, when it was discovered that sooner than the result of the primary was released, that Hon. Elizabeth Ativie in connivance with her political co-travellers futilely attempted to change the submitted name of Dr. (Chief) Billy Osawaru duly recognized by our party and INEC that monitored the primary with her name, an act that is not only an electoral fraud, which is an infraction on the party constitution, the Electoral Act 2022 and the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended, but also a desperate and calculated attempt to bring our chapter of the party to disrepute.
“Consequent upon the discovery of this humongous, disturbing and embarrassing acts, which would have earned her a disgraceful political cum criminal trial with its attendance consequences, she quickly embarked on this more destructive political adventure.
“We are also aware that she has been having a nocturnal romance with the Labour Party prior to now, an act that amounts to anti-party.”
Going further, the statement added, “The APC, want to also use this medium to assure the good women of our party, of their recognition by the party. A clear demonstration of that unflinching and undiluted belief in them and also to accord them that unparalleled recognition, was the fact that the party gave the forms to all elective positions to the women free of charge while it was only the Expression of Interest Forms that were paid for by them.
“Our party shall continue to recognize women in our scheme of dealings. It will also be important to state here and now that women have been appointed into key positions in the campaign committees of our Presidential candidate and same was replicated in all the campaign committees from State Governorship, Senatorial, House of Representatives to State Assemblies.
“APC in Edo State remain united and will not be distracted by the callous and baseless moves by the already near irrelevant individual in the political space of Edo State.