Edo: Obaseki, Oshiomhole’s Fight Intensifies

Parties Rejects Buhari’s Call For Peace

By Fola James

President Muhammadu Buhari seems to have failed to reconcile Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo state and the chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.

The president had during the week appealed to the warring parties in the state APC to allow peace to reign.

But in an apparent rejection of the president’s plea, both parties have continued to fuel the crisis rocking the party in the state.

First, Oshiomhole was said to have turned down gifts sent to him by the governor, as part of the celebration of chrismas.

On his part, Governor Obaseki said he was not going back on his part to back the state’s APC on the sack of the national chairman.

Addressing party supporters on Friday, Governor Obaseki stated that he has taken over the leadership of the party from Oshiomhole, also a former governor of the state.

His reason: The party in the state has suspended Oshiomhole, therefore the leadership of the party automatically falls on his lap.

Flanked by his deputy, Phillip Shuaibu, the governor said there’s nothing anybody could do to reverse the suspension, because it followed due process.

Any action, the governor said, taken by Oshiomhole after his suspension is illegal and cannot stand in the face of the law.

The governor said he has taken over the machinery of the party in Edo state. I’m now in control, the governor said to the cheers of his supporters.

Some party leaders had earlier passed a vote of confidence on the national chairman.

“We are the chairmen of the party in the 18 LGAs and we are not aware of the meeting where a vote of no confidence was passed in the national chairman of our party, Oshiomhole, who is doing very well,” an excerpt from a statement by the leaders of the chairmen and chairman of the party in Etsako West, Ibrahim Akokia, Suleman Bagudu (Etsako Central) and Lugard Alukpe (Owan West) said.

But Obaseki at a meeting with some leaders of the party from different Wards and LGAs in the state on Friday, insisted that his predecessor is no longer a member of the APC due to his suspension.

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

“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 apologize to all of us.”

The governor also said his predecessor, who in an interview denied nursing a ‘godfather agenda’ in Edo State, selected Philip Shaibu and Osarodion Ogie as his deputy and Secretary to the State Government respectively ”to establish himself as a godfather so they could run to him for settlement.”

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