The Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, might be facing fresh hurdles in bid for a second tenure of office on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as Edo State APC governorship aspirants told him to jettison his ambition.
The aspirants: Dr. Pius Odubu, Saturday Uwalekhue, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, Chris Ogienmwonyi and Maj.-Gen. Charles Airhiavbere (rtd.), at a news conference in Benin on Tuesday, blasts Obaseki for attempting to remove Adams Oshiomhole from office as APC National Chairman.
Dr. Pius Odubu who led others at the conference maintained that Obaseki in cahoots with few elements were working surreptitiously to bring Oshiomhole down and backroll achievements of the APC, but failed.
The chieftaiains stressed that there would have been implosion in the party, if Obaseki had succeeded, adding that those strategising for 2023 political offices should desist from seeing Oshiomhole as a stumbling block.
They believed that Obaseki has been defeated already, saying that, “March 16, 2020 will indeed linger in our memories as a day of victory for justice, due process, for transcending darkness, rule of law, for upholding constitutionalism and the respect for party supremacy and internal mechanism of conflict resolution.
“It has been one case of evil, witch-hunting and executive rascality to another. To Obaseki, his second term is not negotiable.
“Obaseki sponsored spurious actions in courts, geared towards the removal of our son, Comrade Oshiomhole, as the National Chairman of APC. We thank God, all his attempts ended in futility.
“To Obaseki, no Edo man qualifies to hold any high position in Nigeria, as far as he remains governor and he is seeking a second term.”
They insisted that November 12 will be a judgement day for Obaseki, while commended President Muhammadu Buhari and Ahmed Bola Tinubu for their intervention.
Reacting, Obaseki’s Special Adviser on Media and Communication Strategy, Crusoe Osagie, described Edo APC as factionalised, while accusing Odubu, a former deputy governor of the state, and other governorship aspirants on the party’s platform of sabotaging the peace efforts of President Buhari and APC governors, among others.
The governor Media aide said, they didn’t mean well for the APC or Oshiomohle.
He stressed: “Less than 24 hours after the peace initiative by President Buhari and APC governors in Abuja, Odubu has launched a barrage of attacks on the person of Edo State governor, a situation that jeopardises moves to restore peace to a party that has become severely troubled.
“Odubu has been a known frontline speaker for Comrade Oshiomhole during the crisis that preceded the current peace initiative. “Odubu is also a frontrunner in the factionalisation of the APC in Edo State, under the supervision of Comrade Oshiomhole.”
“They (Edo APC governorship aspirants) will rather continue to stir crisis and disrupt the peace in the state and the party. We call on the Presidency to take note of this trend, aimed at rubbishing all the efforts by President Buhari and the APC governors to bring peace to the party at all levels.
“We challenge Comrade Oshiomhole to come out to publicly denounce the irresponsible comments (of Edo APC governorship aspirants), if he does not subscribe to them.
