September 16, (THEWILL) – The Edo State chapter of the Action Alliance (AA) has disowned Tom Iseghohi-Okojie, who on Sunday, collapsed his gubernatorial ambition for Monday Okpebholo, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in the September 21 governorship election in the State.
A statement signed on Monday, by the Edo State chairman of the Party, Uwaifo Osaro, described Iseghohi-Okojie as an impostor, saying he was never a member of the party.
THEWILL had on April 7, in a report titled, “Edo 2024: The Contenders and Pretenders”, listed Uwaifo Osaro as the governorship candidate of the AA in Edo.
Speaking on Monday, Osaro said, “By the grace of God, I am the State Chairman of Action Alliance (AA) and also doubled to be the gubernatorial candidate of the party.
“My party primary was conducted on February 21, 2024, the last day stipulated by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), for all political parties to conduct their primaries and INEC came and supervised the Action Alliance (AA) party primary. I did not substitute for anybody as the governorship candidate of my party.
“Tom Iseghohi Okojie is an imposter, we don’t know him as a member of AA in Edo. His local government area party chairman doesn’t know him, even the ward he claimed to be a member of cannot even recognise him.
“Edo people should disregard the news that Tom Iseghohi Okojie as AA governorship candidate collapsed the structure for All Progressives Congress candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo.
“When I emerged as the candidate of AA through primary supervision by INEC, my opposition then, Mr Fredrick Ihinmwinhisi took me to court. I don’t know what INEC is doing.
“INEC was the one who sent me the Certified Through Copy (CTC), of the primary. If another primary was conducted which I am not privileged to, I would have known.
“As at last two weeks, my lawyer wrote to INEC for the change of name and they appealed that it was an error.”
Also, Esan North-East local government area chairman of AA, Onakhionor John Best, confirmed that Tom Iseghohi-Okojie is not a member of Action Alliance in the local government.
“The name Tom Iseghohi-Okojie is not on the list of members of my party (AA), in my local government area. He is an impostor. Edo people should disregard his claims as the governorship candidate of Action Alliance or collapsing AA structure for APC”, he said.
