Former Edo Speaker Dumps APC

Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City

A former Speaker of Edo State House of Assembly, Mrs. Elizabeth Ativie, has resigned her membership of the All Progressives Congress (APC), due to non-inclusion of women in elective positions.

Ativie who did not mention which party she would pitch her political tent, however, said that she is seeking a third force for members to freely express themselves, outside the APC and the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP).

She announced her resignation yesterday during a press briefing at the Press Centre of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Edo State Council in Benin City.

The resignation letter, which was addressed to Edo Chairman of APC, Col. David Imuse (rtd.), was channeled through the party’s Chairman of Orhue Ward 4, and APC’s Chairman in Uhunmwonde LGA, Ehor.

She said: “This letter is to convey to you that I have officially resigned from the APC, with immediate effect.

“The reason for my resignation is attributed to the current unresolved crises facing APC in Uhunmwonde and Orhionwwon LGAs, and the entire APC in Edo State.”

There were speculations that the former speaker, who is an ex-Chairman of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Edo Chapter, wanted to join Labour Party (LP), but she was not forthcoming on the issue, while assuring that her position would be made known in the next one month.

Ativie said: “I wish to sincerely apologise for coming late. I was held up this morning at Edo State Secretariat of APC on Airport Road in Benin City, when I went to submit my resignation. I thought I could just sneak in and out, but to my greatest surprise, all the officers were there, but they locked the door and said I was going nowhere. I told them that people were waiting for me. So, I had to leave. I actually dodged and left the place. I have very high regard for journalists. 

“I wish to inform my teeming supporters and the general public that I have officially resigned from my former party, the APC, as a result of the crises since after the last primaries, in view of lack of internal democracy, with some persons allowed to hijack the party. 

“It is not because I did not have the opportunity to have the ticket (to represent Uhunmwonde/Orhionwwon constituency in the House of Representatives), but I have been a feminine activist, and I have fought assiduously to ensure women inclusion in decision making in Edo State and Nigeria.

“It is unacceptable that all the women in Edo State, who sought elective positions on the platform of APC in the primaries were illogically prevented from picking the tickets. APC does not have female candidate in Edo South Senatorial District that I belong. I cannot remain in such a political party that has no regard for women inclusion. Hence, I decided to throw in the towel.”

The former speaker urged her teeming supporters to remain calm, while assuring that in few weeks, she would let the whole world know her next political action/move.

She hailed the wife of President Muhammadu Buhari, Mrs. Aisha, on her efforts in putting in place a team to ensure women inclusion in all the elective positions in the chapters of the APC across Nigeria, with all the female aspirants invited to a meeting in Abuja, but lamented that Edo chapter of the party did not respect the First Lady’s decision, despite her liaising with President Buhari and the National Chairman of APC, Senator Abdullahi Adamu.