Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State, Jarrett Tenebe, has dismissed the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as irrelevant in the state’s political landscape, describing it as a party of “gay people.”
Tenebe also brushed aside claims by former APC national chairman and ex-Edo governor Chief John Odigie-Oyegun—who has defected to the ADC—that the ruling party was in panic over the opposition’s growing influence.
Speaking in an interview on PFm TV that later went viral on social media, Tenebe said the ADC posed no threat to the APC in Edo State, insisting the ruling party remained firmly in control and was focused on membership expansion and electoral mobilisation.
“I don’t think we have anything to do with them because they are not a threat. Maybe they were a threat before, but they are not a threat now,” Tenebe said. “Do you use a sledgehammer to kill an ant? We don’t do that.”
He attributed recent criticisms from the ADC to what he described as internal crises within the opposition, including alleged disputes over its state secretariat.
“If they are directing the crisis they have within their party, which possibly affected their fighting and has to do with their secretariat, they should check themselves. APC is a disciplined and focused party,” Tenebe said.
Tenebe said the APC was currently preoccupied with electronic registration of members, noting that several political parties were collapsing into the ruling party both in Edo State and across the country.
“Right now, we are doing e‑registration because a lot of parties have collapsed into APC. Our membership strength has grown beyond what we even imagined,” he said.
He questioned the presence and structure of the ADC in Edo State, claiming that only a few prominent individuals were associated with the party.
“We don’t even know whether ADC exists in Edo State. The only people I know in ADC here are John Odigie-Oyegun and Oserheimen Osunbor. Those are the tired leaders I know,” Tenebe said.
The APC chairman also alleged that the two former APC leaders owed outstanding party dues from their time in the ruling party.
“When they were members of APC and achieved everything they achieved, they never paid dues. We have calculated those dues and they are huge. Very soon, we will visit them to come and pay that money,” he said.
Reaffirming his loyalty to President Bola Tinubu, Tenebe restated his earlier pledge to deliver 3.5 million votes for the president.
“We promised 3.5 million votes to the President. If my hand will be an impediment, I will cut it off. If it is my head, I will cut it off,” he said.
Tenebe also praised the performance of APC governors, particularly in Edo State, saying their achievements were strengthening the party’s electoral prospects.
“When you see a governor performing from the first year, you already know what to expect. What the governor is doing is campaigning for us,” he said, drawing parallels with Lagos State, which he described as a model of sustained APC governance.
He concluded by warning opposition parties against what he described as attempts to distract the ruling party, insisting that APC had “taken over the state” and was not prepared to relinquish power.
“They should face their own problems and leave us. This state will remain with APC for a very long time,” Tenebe added.
