Edo State governor, Godwin Obaseki, on Wednesday, January 29, has vowed to deal decisively with his predecessor, Adams Oshiomhole, if he continues to “disrupt the activities of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state”.
Mr Oshiomhole, the National Chairman of APC, who was instrumental to the emergence of Obaseki, fell out with the governor shortly before he declared his reelection bid.
The visibly angry governor on Wednesday when speaking at a meeting of the chairmen of the APC in the 18 local government areas in Edo, Obaseki said he is prepared to “show Oshiomhole” that he is the governor of the state.
He also directed the party chairmen to deal with any person or group carrying out activities that are not in the interest of the state chapter of APC.
He said, “In one of our national meetings, the president Muhammadu Buhari said go and build the party from the base, from the ward and that is what we are doing.
“Anybody who cannot comply with the party structure has to leave.
“He is not a party man. Look at the dump he kept the party as a Secretariat. With all the resources we had he could not support the party until the landlord evicted us. You are Governor or chairman based on the platform that elevated you. That is why I looked for one of the most beautiful building along Airport Road and said this is the secretariat of the party,” he said.
“All these nonsense they are doing. If anybody in the name of our party tries to do anything contrary to what we have agreed as a party, we will deal with that person ruthlessly no matter who he is.
“If you are elected a chairman, your attitude should show if you believe in the party. Party supremacy means the leadership of the party must respect the membership. It is the members that make the party supreme because the members subscribed to a constitution which governs the conduct of the party. One man cannot be the party.
“I am the Governor of Edo State and I so authorise it. If anyone comes to your ward or local government to do things outside what the party has agreed I hereby authorise you to deal with that person seriously.
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“We are warning the suspended National Chairman. If he continues his activities in Edo State, I will show him that I am the Governor of Edo State. While he was governor, he did not tolerate a fraction of the misdemeanour and misbehaviour he is undertaking today. I have declared that if Oshiomhole comes here to Edo to say he wants to disrupt the activities of the state and the party, we will deal with him the way we know how best to do it.”
Obaseki said Oshiomhole remains suspended and he would be expelled if he does not retrace his steps.
“Comrade Oshiomhole stands suspended from the party. In due course, we will expel him if he does not behave. The party does not belong to him, it belongs to all of us. We are following the wish of our people,” he said.
“Our next step is to make sure we convince more people to join our party so that all of us can move this state to the next level. I will give you all the support to strengthen the party at the local government. Monthly meetings must hold. Monthly wards meetings must hold. Attendance must be taken. Wherever there are issues, you sit down and discuss it.”
Obaseki and Oshiomhole, once close allies, have since fallen out with each other, heating the polity up in the state.
The APC leadership has failed in their bid to reconcile the two men especially since the former declared his intention to run for another term in office as governor of Edo State.
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