The Senator representing Edo North Senatorial District of Edo State, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, on Saturday, apologised to the immediate-past Senator representing Edo South Senatorial District, Senator Matthew Urhogide, for treating him unfairly while in the All Progressives Congress (APC) then.
He made the apology while welcoming Urhogide and other defectors back into the APC in Edo State.
Those who joined the party alongside Senator Uroghide and were officially received into APC included eight former local government council chairmen.
They are former Etsako Central local government area chairman, John Akhigbe; former Igueben LGA chairman, Dr Josie Ogedegbe; former Owan West LGA chairman, Frank Ilaboya; former Owan East LGA chairman, Andrew Osigwe; former Uhunmwonde LGA chairman, Napoleon Agbama; former Ovia North-East LGA chairman, Scott Ogbemudia; ex-Esan North-East LGA chairman, Austin Okoibhole, and former Esan West LGA chairman, Mrs Ruth Osahor, among others.
Speaking at the event, Oshiomhole said supporting Senator Ehigie Uzamere against the candidacy of Urhogide was one of the costly mistakes he has ever made, which has made the party to lose Edo South to PDP twice.
“I was mis-advised. I am not going to blame those who mis-advised me, but I accept the responsibility that I took the decision to support now former Senator Uzamere.
“And when I did, I later realised it. The late Esogban of blessed memory, told me, my son, you made a mistake. There were several others who spoke in the same vein. And he came to me and said, Comrade, this your decision to support someone else against me, I pray and believe that you will regret it sooner than later.
“I will go to places, we do the talking and we will ask him to keep quiet, he should not be seen so that he doesn’t spoil our market because it was too late to make a change and in the end, Uzamere won.
“After he won, he traded the ticket after being a Senator, returned to PDP. Now, God decided, using Matthew to teach us a lesson.
“So, for two consecutive elections, spanning eight years, Senator Matthew taught us a lesson.
“We keep losing Edo South Senatorial zone to him. Which is why he had Senate for two terms, 2015-2023 and he later became chairman of one of the important committees in the Senate, Public Account.
“So, Senator Matthew as I have always said from the first time I met you and I said I apologized to you from the bottom of my heart for my error of judgement and you have sufficiently punished us by making us lose Edo South two consecutive times and now that you are back, there can be no questions that we will regain Edo South and once you regain Edo South, you have won Edo State,” Oshiomhole said.
Earlier, Senator Urhoghide said he was so happy to be back to the party he co-founded, noting that he has come to contribute his quota to the development of the party.
Urhogide said the present administration has done its best and that he believes that the APC will do better.
He called on all the party faithful to go all out to solicit votes for the forthcoming Edo State governorship election, noting that it was the time to work.
On his part, the State APC chairman, Emperor Jaret Tenebe, apologised for whatever decisions that he may have taken that might have offended the party.
He added that he will keep doing his best to woo members from other political parties into the APC as democracy is a game of number.
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