Former Commissioner for Information in Edo State, Mr. Kassim Afegbua said Governor Godwin Obaseki has destroyed “Edo collective interest” in the last four years of his administration, noting voters in the state will punish the Governor at the September 19 governorship poll.
Afegbua, a Chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo and spokesperson of the party’s Presidential Campaign Council in the 2019 general election said he has started mobilizing against the re-election of the Governor.
In an interview published by the Daily Independent, Afegbua said Obaseki has not met his aspiration as an indigene of Edo and also faulted his emergence as the PDP’s torchbearer.
Afegbua who had on several occasions condemned the primary process that threw up Obaseki as the PDP candidate in the state, believes old members of the party who contested for the ticket “should enjoy certain privileges which a new entrant shouldn’t enjoy. Everything must not be about money at all times.”
Recall Obaseki, a late entrant into the PDP Guber primary race, following his travails in the All Progressives Congress (APC), was given a waiver by the party’s hierarchy to participate in the PDP primary.
However, the primary election was a mere formality as the party had already prevailed on the trio of Engr. Keneth Ikihine, Mr. Kenneth Imasuagbon (alias Rice Man) and Hon Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama to step down for the incumbent Governor. It was on record that Imasuagbon stepped down on the D-Day after he had initially mounted much resistance to the party’s pressure, seeking a common front for the new bride, Obaseki.
Afegbua said: “There is the need for us to derive courage to interrogate democratic processes so that we are not fed with lawlessness as the normative order. As a member of the PDP, I should enjoy certain privileges which a new entrant shouldn’t enjoy. Everything must not be about money at all times. There were three vibrant aspirants who have toiled round the state wooing the delegates to vote for them. All of a sudden, at the eve of the primaries, it was postponed to accommodate the Governor who was never a part of the process. Before you say Jack Robinson, the entire permutation changed because you feel the Governor has money to spend, tax payers money for that matter. It is very disturbing and annoying that our hopes were dashed. If the Governor felt he was popular, he would have joined another party to test his popularity. Democracy is so beautiful that it does not encourage this type of bestiality.
“Well, quite a number of people have called to say I should sheath the sword since I am a member of the PDP. But they failed to address the fundamental issues. As a party member, should decisions be taken without factoring the overall interest of members? Money politics should not be the cardinal creed in political participation.
“There has to be constructive engagement and collective bargaining so that everyone will feel a sense of belonging. You don’t sit in Abuja and ram everything down the throat of members because you are national officers. I am a voter in Edo, and I have a lot of supporters who will see reason with my position. I have started campaigning in my community of Okpella so that we will use our votes to punish Governor Obaseki for abandoning our community. Our roads are in terrible shape, yet he wouldn’t fix them, but he wants our people’s votes. We are no fools in Okpella. We will speak with one voice against Governor Obaseki, to teach him a lesson that every community needs to be carried along,” Afegbua said.
Speaking further, the former Commissioner said he sees nothing wrong in campaigning against his party’s candidate, Obaseki and asking supporters to go all out for rival APC’s Osagie Ize-Iyamu. Afegbua said “it’s about choices and leadership,” adding he wants “to taste another person.”
“There is nothing curious there. In other climes, people support candidate of other parties. In the US, Collin Powel and a couple of others endorsed Obama’s candidature even though they were not members of the Democratic Party. It is all about choices and leadership. It is about what you see after you have done your analysis with respect to who can do a better job. I have tasted Obaseki’s leadership for four years, I have formed my dissonance. He has not met my aspiration as an indigene of Edo. It is time for me to taste another person before I form my opinion. The last four years of Governor Obaseki has been one of monumental deceit, blackmail and pretenses. He has destroyed the Edo collective interest, pulled down people from their positions, and yet seeking for their votes. Former Deputy Governor, Dr. Pius Odubu, has his legitimate severance pay with-held by the Obaseki administration. He refused to pay him. When he was nominated for NDDC position as Chairman, Governor Obaseki protested and that board was dissolved. Another Benin son, Chief Victor Ekhator who was also nominated as a Commissioner representing Edo on the NDDC board, was also dropped, all due to Governor Obaseki’s anti-Edo sentiments. Is that the candidate that should be voted for by us?” Afegbua quipped.
