By Ghazali Ibrahim
The Edo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has warned that any commissioner who fails to comply with Governor Monday Okpebholo’s directive to wear the ‘Asiwaju cap’ during State Executive Council meetings will face suspension from the party.
The state party chairman, Jarrett Tenebe, issued the warning while reacting to reports that some members of the cabinet ignored the governor’s order.
Governor Okpebholo had, on October 14, during the swearing-in of newly cleared commissioners and the inauguration of boards and commissions, instructed his appointees to demonstrate their loyalty to President Bola Tinubu by wearing branded outfits featuring the Asiwaju insignia.
Tenebe described any act of defiance as “indiscipline and insubordination,” insisting that loyalty to the President and the party’s leadership was non-negotiable.
“If you refuse to wear the cap as the governor has directed, we will suspend you. That is indiscipline and insubordination,” Tenebe declared.
He explained that the decision aligns with the party’s commitment to deliver on its promise of 3.5 million votes for President Tinubu in future elections.
“If, as a member of the APC, you got an appointment, you are supposed to be loyal to the President. We are expressing that loyalty by wearing the cap. Those complaining are not true members of the APC. In Edo, we have made it clear — no Asiwaju cap, no Exco,” he added.
The directive has sparked mixed reactions across the state, with some party members viewing it as a symbolic show of allegiance, while others see it as an unnecessary politicization of official conduct.
