Fourteen Senior Special Assistants (SSA) to Gov. Adams Oshiomhole of Edo, three directors and one board chairman in the state, have resigned their appointment and membership of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The officials openly resigned their appointment and membership of the party on Monday in Benin during an enlarged meeting of some aggrieved members of the party.
More than 3,000 members of the APC in the state also resigned their membership of the party during the meeting.
Mr Tony Omoaghe, the former chairman of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in the state, told newsmen that the aggrieved members resigned due to lack of internal democracy in the APC.
Omoaghe, who convened the meeting, listed the `flawed membership registration and congresses of the party held recently as other reasons for their action.
“On April 24, stakeholders of the party across Edo met and gave the governor a seven-day ultimatum to cancel the very questionable party membership registration as well as the dubious ward and local government congresses.
“The ultimatum has since expired; the governor has not complied with our request.
“He did not even show good faith, all we witnessed were his attempt to woo aggrieved members individually by offering them Greek gift,” he said.
He said that no efforts were made to address the flawed membership registration and congresses.
“As democrats, we would decide our next line of action in a few days.
“We call on Edo people to keep faith alive and support us with their prayers in the next decision we shall take for the good of the state,” he added.
Some aides of the governor who resigned their appointment included, Mr Osaretin Edosuwan, SSA on Project Monitoring and Festus Ewu, SSA on Energy and Water.
Evelyn Omokhodion, Executive Director, Poverty Alleviation Agency, Efosa Ogbe, Executive Director, Consumer Protection Agency, Mr Frank Erewele, Chairman, Edo Courier Service and Segun Ose, chairman Edo Land Use Committee also resigned their appointments and membership of the party.
Some party chieftains who also resigned their membership were, Pastor Ise Iyamu, former SSG and Chief of Staff, Bright Omokhodion, former speaker of Edo Assembly, and Tony Omoaghe among others.
Edosuwan, SSA to Gov. Adams Oshiomhole on Project Monitoring told newsmen that the resignation was due to lack of internal crisis in the party.
“We own the structure which the governor used to climb to where he is today and he is now practising the godfatherism which he preached against.
“There is no need having advisers the governor does not listen to, the governor does not take advice from anybody,’’ Edosuwan said.