.Shaibu: Oshiomhole Can’t Enter Edo Without Obaseki’s Approval
. Activist Group: Shaibu’s Small Fly , Not worth Oshiomhole’s reply
By Dele Adebulu (Political Desk)
The raging political tension and unsettling fire in Edo State between National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress(APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and Governor Godwin Obaseki’s administration has reached all time high as the deputy governor of the State and a former political protégé of Oshiomhole, Hon Philip Shaibu, said yesterday that the APC chairman cannot enter Edo State without the approval of the State governor.
The Deputy Governor who made the declaration while addressing a rally at Egor local government area to welcome the chairman of Edgor local government council, Eghe Ogbemudia, who has just been recalled from suspension by Governor Obaseki also accused the former governor of instigating crisis in the State.
“We have discovered that anywhere he (Oshiomhole) goes, there is violence. So now we have said until he takes permission from governor,” Hon Shaibu said.
He added: “He cannot come to Edo State because we are peaceful people. Edo state is peaceful, he should not come and create crisis for us.”
This is however, coming amidst criticism from some Edo citizens. A coalition of pro-democracy group, Centre for Democracy and Good Governance(CDGG) led Comrade Austin Edomoreyen said the deputy governor is “too small in political circles to be taken seriously”. According to Edomoreyen “ Shaibu is too small a political fly to jump on the issues being talked about. Who is Shaibu? Who is he? That is comrade’s boy, his adopted son who grew up under Oshiomhole’s tutelage. So he is not to be reckoned with in the scheme of things politically. If that statement is coming from the governor directly then we would react. We won’t react to one political fly, just ranting “
He added: “ It is not everything you react to. Does he know the implication of his statements? He is simply saying that the state has degenerated to a level of anarchy where people are not safe to travel to including the national chairman of APC and people must get across to the governor to ensure that some level of security is in place before they can visit. That is why I said we won’t reply him”
But the deputy governor who addressed the crowd mainly in Pidgin English in Egor Thursday, said the former governor of Edo, Oshiomhole taught them how to fight “godfather” hence they have decided to fight on.
It would be recalled Comrade Oshiomhole practically helped Governor Obaseki, a seasoned technocrat to succeed him as governor in 2016 against all political odds. But curiously both Oshiomhole and Obaseki parted ways in a rather very troubling manner with the result that both camps have been accusing each other of wrong doing.
The consequence is that both the local Edo House of Assembly and the APC in the state have been seriously polarized on account of the rift and serious in-fighting among these gladiators.
“Him think say we be fool? Time don reach make we let am know say wetin him teach us we don perfect am and everything wey we go dey do na wetin he teach us,” Hon Shaibu said of Comrade Oshiomhole at yesterday’s rally at Egor.
“Him teach us make we dey fight who?” He asked the crowd.
“Godfather!” The crowd shouted.
The deputy governor continued: “So are we not fighting godfather now?
“Whether him na godfather, whether another person na godfather, wetin him tell us be say make we dey fight godfather.
“The Bible say, teach your children the way of the lord, so that when they grow up they will follow dat wey!
“Oshiomhole teach us, when we were young, the way to fight godfather, so that when we are big we will continue to abide it. No be so?
“Somebody wey be national chairman, though we don suspend am now. If you be national chairman of any party, the way wey Oshiomhole dey come say he wan receive people for Edo without permission from our governor, him fit go Kano like dat say to receive people to APC without the permission of Kano governor?”
Not with-standing , Comrade Edomreyen said his team would not reply to the deputy governor’s statements because he is “ too junior in the political equation to respond to.” He added: “ Comrade taught us not to respond to some issues that are not worth responding to. So no matter the provocation, we won’t reply. But if the governor made such a statement directly then, I would have given it back to the Governor. Not Shaibu. He is too junior. He is political fly. ”
