Former House of Representatives member Ehiozuwa Johnson Agbonayinma has officially resigned from the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State, citing widespread marginalization, undemocratic practices, and interference by party leaders from other senatorial districts. The announcement was made on Wednesday in Benin, where Agbonayinma, who represented Egor/Ikpoba Okha federal constituency from 2015 to 2019, declared his exit with immediate effect. In a letter addressed to the Ikpoba-Okha Ward 7 Chairman of the APC, he expressed deep distress over what he described as the party’s increasing control by a few individuals who are not from his local government area or senatorial zone.
Agbonayinma accused prominent APC figures, including Senator Adams Oshiomhole (Edo North) and Senatorial aspirant Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu (Edo South), of dictating political decisions in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government and Ward 6, despite not being from the area. He emphasized that these individuals, some of whom had previously opposed the APC during elections, are now influencing party affairs in his constituency. He questioned how he, as a founding member who contributed to the party’s growth from its early days as AC, ACN, and ACD, could be sidelined by those who once worked against the party.
The ex-lawmaker also raised concerns over the distribution of federal appointments, alleging that Senator Oshiomhole has consistently blocked his nomination as acting chairman of the Code of Conduct Bureau. He pointed out that key appointments such as ambassadorial positions, executive directors of the South-South Development Commission, and leadership roles in the Benin-Owena River Basin Development Authority have all been allocated to Edo North, despite Edo South’s larger population and qualified candidates. “We, the Edo South that laid the golden eggs,” he lamented, “are being neglected and marginalized.”
Agbonayinma recalled how his recommended candidate for Ward 6 was rejected by party leadership, only to be approved after Pastor Ize-Iyamu intervened. He also recounted how he was denied the acting chairmanship of the Code of Conduct Bureau, despite being the preferred choice, with party leaders allegedly spreading false narratives to block his appointment. He stressed that as a leader, he cannot continue in a party that denies him the power to empower his people and create opportunities for them.
He concluded by stating that Ikpoba-Okha has become a domain for outsiders, not its own people. “I cannot continue to live in a party that has no respect, that is not democratic,” he said. His resignation marks a significant development in Edo State’s political landscape, raising questions about internal party dynamics and regional equity within the APC. The fallout from his exit may influence future political alignments and voter sentiments in the region.
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