March 11: Oshiomole, Obaseki Battle For Soul Of Edo Legislature

By Ayodele Oni

The battle to control the next legislature in Edo state is raging between Governor Godwin Obaseki and his predecessor, Adams Oshiomole.

Oshiomole, who was last week elected senator to represent Edo central at the red chamber is accused by Obaseki of doing everything to ensure that the All Progressive Congress (APC) commands the majority of the next parliament.

Special Adviser to the Edo State Governor on Media, Crusoe Osagie, said the recent statement by the former Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole on the fate of Governor Godwin Obaseki in the Edo State House of Assembly polls exposes Oshiomhole’s insidious plan to oust Governor Obaseki through impeachment.

In a statement, Osagie expressed confidence that Edo people, as they did in 2020, will again rise in defense of the governor at the polls on Saturday, March 11, and vote massively for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), electing a House controlled by the PDP.

The governor’s aide said, “The recent statement by the former Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole on the fate of Governor Godwin Obaseki in the Edo State House of Assembly polls exposes his insidious plan to oust the current governor through impeachment.

“We are, however, confident that, like it happened in 2020 when Edo people stood with the governor despite the bullying and intimidation by Oshiomhole and his paymasters, Edo people will again rise in defense of the governor at the polls on Saturday, March 11; vote massively for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and elect a House controlled by the PDP.

“Obaseki has never placed his confidence in any man or godfather. He has placed his confidence in God and the people.

“It is curious that it is Oshiomhole who has come forward with the agenda of the APC and not any of the candidates.

“One wonders if Oshiomhole will be a member of the Edo State House of Assembly after the polls. This, obviously, points to who and where the instructions will be issued if the party’s candidates are mistakenly elected into the House.

“Edo people can see the handwriting on the wall and we are certain that they will troop out en masse to vote for the candidates of the PDP in the election to sustain the developmental strides of the Governor Obaseki-led government.”

In a response media aide to Oshiomole, Victor Oshiokedescrobed Governor Obaseki as “a corrosive politician whose attitudes are patently leprous in nature. He contaminates and destroys any party, place, or person that he associates with.

“For almost seven years, he has governed Edo State like Herod. Totally insensitive to the aspirations, frustrations, and cries of the people who elected him.

“But on February 25, 2023, Edo people unambiguously rejected him and his PDP faction in the Presidential, Senate and House of Representatives polls.

“For the first time since the return to democracy in 1999, Edo State PDP failed to win any seat in the national assembly, a direct consequence of Godwin Obaseki’s cantankerous, vicious and reckless use of state power to intimidate, oppress, terrorise and pauperise our people.

“On March 11, Edo people will once again go to the polls to put the final nail on the coffin of impunity, hatred, insecurity, maladministration, destruction of private properties, economic retrogression, infrastructural decay and disrespect for traditional institutions which are the unfortunate hallmarks of Godwin Obaseki’s two tenures in office.

“No man is God and Oshiomhole is not God. He has never pretended to have godly powers, so he cannot install or decree who becomes a member of the House of Assembly.

“That is for the electorates to do. But as a leader, Oshiomhole is calling on all Edo people to come out and vote for all APC candidates so that true democracy can once again be restored in Edo State.

“However, we must not forget the adage which says that ‘the evil that men do haunt them even while they are alive and torture their souls when they die.’ All the evils of Godwin Obaseki are gradually but certainly catching up with him, even while he is still in office.

“One can only imagine how his life would be when he leaves office soon. Godwin Obaseki is panicking because Comrade Adams Oshiomhole is calling on Edo people to come out peacefully to vote their choice of March 11.

“Left for Obaseki, the 10 man aberration called Edo State House of Assembly should remain in place till the end of his tenure in November 2024. But fortunately, he has no powers to make that a reality.

‘At no time did Comrade Adams Oshiomhole mention impeachment in his message to Edo people. But perhaps Obaseki knows that he has committed impeachable offenses, so all that rings in his ears now is impeachment.

“That is why he is running helter-skelter to prevent a peaceful, free and fair election that will produce an independent parliament in Edo State.

“Is it not an irony that just two weeks ago, Godwin Obaseki and his deputy Philip Shaibu were boasting that they have retired Adams Oshiomhole from politics, but today Oshiomhole has a four year tenure as a Senator of the Federal Republic which has not even started yet, and they are crying foul that Oshiomhole is campaigning for APC candidates for Edo House of Assembly? Liars have no conscience indeed.

Obviously, Godwin Obaseki has seen the handwriting on the wall, that Edo people are wiser now. No amount of last minute appeal can save him and his PDP faction from the impending electoral defeat.”