Edo Tussle: Gov Obaseki Issues Last Warning To Oshiomhole

Uche EmmanuelDecember 28, 2019

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Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki on Friday, December 28, has issued a stern cautious statement to the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Adams Oshiomhole and his camp as regards the progress of Edo State and the APC in the state.

Obaseki made the state statement in the state government house on Friday evening.

Recalled that, On November 12, the crisis worsened as each of the two rival factions suspended Oshiomhole and Obaseki.

Obaseki had rejected a peace committee set up by the APC National Working Committee late November on the grounds that the panel, headed by the Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, was the brainchild of the Oshiomhole-led NWC

Again on November 18, the APC set up a 10-member committee, headed by the President of the Senate, Dr Ahmed Lawan, but Obaseki opposed it, saying the National Assembly leadership was a party to the crisis in Edo State.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Communication Strategy, Mr Crusoe Osagie said, “We can’t have a committee where we have parties in the dispute as members. It just doesn’t follow the cause of natural justice.

“ The National Assembly is in court as we speak with the House of Assembly in Edo State over the plan to come and take over the operations of the state House of Assembly and then the leaders of the same National Assembly that had wanted to take over the House of Assembly are now the head of the reconciliation committee. Senator Ahmed Lawan, the Senate President, with all due respect, and other leaders of the National Assembly are hell-bent on taking over the Edo House of Assembly.”

On Thursday, the governor said the APC in the state was united, strong and formidable, stressing that members of the EPM were not members of the party.

The governor said, “The APC is one party. Those that say they are in the EPM are not APC, including their national chairman, who we have suspended in Edo State. Those mistakenly elected into Edo State House of Assembly, who are members of the EPM, have been thrown out and the Independent National Electoral Commission is aware and will soon announce a date for a fresh election, where we will have opportunity to elect credible representatives, who will represent us in the House.

“Any person doing anti-party activities, President Muhammadu Buhari has asked us to deal with them. We have been told to go back to organise our party. That’s why we are here. As a ruling party in the state, we have done a lot for the Edo people, moving the state forward progressively, but the EPM are afraid of progress and will do anything to ensure we don’t get another term.”

Obaseki alleged that the EPM members were trying to frustrate the good plans of his government for the people of the state.

“Their intention is to discredit our administration, but the people of Edo know better,” he said.

Obaseki explained that his administration was achieving a lot in agriculture in the state, adding that government would soon commence work on the Sobe-Sabogida-Ora road.

“Can you imagine a national chairman that is creating problems in his own house? Because of that, we had to suspend him and he remains suspended. We pray that God should have mercy on him because he has done something bad against God and the people of Edo State. He should find his way back into the party and apologise to all.

“If he comes back remorseful and apologetic, we will consider taking him back.”

“If you cannot be a disciplined member of the party, you will leave, whether you are a national chairman or not,” he stated.

“He cancelled the primaries that were done by the party at the state level for the 2019 general elections and did his own. Because he could not control us at the executive, he manipulated the legislature so that he can use the House of Assembly to impeach us.”

“Oshiomhole thought he was setting a trap when he chose Philip Shaibu as my deputy and Osarodion Ogie as Secretary to the State Government (SSG). He thought we will always quarrel, fight and then run to him for settlement.”

“If you behave like a godfather, we will fight you.”

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