Jarret Tenebe
By Our Reporter
The Concerned Edo North APC Support Group, an amalgamation of leaders and members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) of the Edo north senatorial district of Edo State, has detested the outright attacks, subtle innuendos and incendiary statements credited to the Edo State Deputy Chairman of the party, Emperor Jarrett Tinebe.
Tenebe had, in a video recording, mocked the bonafide stalwarts and members of Edo APC, particularly those from Edo north zone on account of their interests in the governorship election in 2024.
The group said that Tenebe had tended to publicly reduce the party, his personality, and the high position he had been placed by the generality of APC faithful.
It said the party faithful were likely to now perceive him as too premature and undisciplined to serve as the deputy chairman of the APC in the State.
The group noted that Tenebe was obviously preparing the grounds to fill the vacant position of the state chairman, through the leadership ladder given him by the same Edo north APC, which was why he was rooting for Edo Central governorship candidate as this would enable him to step into the chairmanship position which an Edo central zone person had vacated to run for the governorship seat.
In a press statement signed by Hon Alasa Idaro, convener of the group, “Hon Tenebe, in the video that he circulated to the social media, derided selfless and loyal APC men and women and the governorship aspirants from Edo North, whereas he ought to know that it was only a few executive members of the party and others, who were happy with his derogatory comments, while most others maintained straight faces, an indication of a general disapproval of his rude and divisive comments that were not ideal for a party leader.”
Hon Idaro, a notable chieftain of the APC in Edo north, who said he spoke for the group that was very concerned about the welfare of the party and in the interest of the majority of the leaders and its members, said he ardently believed in the party’s unity and peaceful conducts.
He said peace and unity in the party were the springboard to win the governorship election holding in the state in 2024.
In a recorded video, which surfaced on social media, certain utterances were made by Hon. Tenebe, which were considered outlandish.
Tenebe had called on APC state executive members and party faithful not “to support a delegate who resembles Governor Obaseki, whether as his inlaw, or by dark skin, ugliness and the one who organised fake governorship endorsements for himself.”
In the derogatory remarks which were purportedly directed at Prince Clem Agba, the immediate past Minister of State for Budget and National Planning and a leading aspirant in the governorship race, Tenebe was also overheard warning that the governorship aspirant, to whom he referred, “shall meet them at the party primary election.”
Idaro reminded Tenebe that his unfortunate behaviour portrayed him as still working relentlessly against the terms of an amicable settlement reached by the leaders of the party, as led by Senator Adams Oshiomhole, in a recent meeting held in Benin City, where the leaders resolved all its internal disputes and stopped Tenebe from suspending APC members simply because they expressed their rights to endorse some governorship candidates of their choices ahead of the party primary election, an action which the party said was in order and in line with the party constitution.
Alasa Idaro said: “Hon Tenebe, by his latest awkward outbursts should have known that he had breached the recent directives of Edo APC’s leadership, and so he could be found wanting as a leader, in a crucial election season.”
While thanking Senator Oshiomhole for his sterling leadership by getting other APC leaders to stop the wrong moves by Hon Tenebe to witchunt and suspend longstanding leaders and members of the party for calling on Prince Agba to contest in the election, he said that the highandedness of Tenebe would have led to avoidable tension within the party.
Hon Idaro also questioned the justification of the plan by Hon Tenebe to come all out to succeed Dr David Imuse, the absentee state chairman of the party, whom he said Tenebe had prodded to run for the governorship contest, so that he could replace him and “ruin” the party.
“Why is Hon Tenebe trying to stop Prince Agba and other aspirants from the Edo north zone, even though they had been longstanding members of the party before Tenebe decamped into it from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)?” he asked.
He cautioned Hon Tenebe to beware of the backlash of reducing Edo north zone to a mere spectator in the governorship race, where the two other zones now jostle for the governorship ticket, had only scantily voted the party, whereas Edo north APC, that had always delivered the desired winnings to the party in all elections, particularly in the most recent times, is being stopped by the Tenebe’s individual chairmanship ambition.
However, the group called on Hon Tenebe not to let his selfish ambition as Edo APC chairman estrange him from his Edo north APC, who had catapulted him to his present position, and from Prince Agba, his good friend and a benefactor, who always meant well for him.
“One doesn’t have to bite the finger that fed him or try to destroy the leader that assisted him to climb if he desires to go far in politics”, Idaho further cautioned Hon Tenebe.
