- Edo Gov: “No going back on Oshiomhole’s impeachment”
Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki has claimed that the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, planned to gain the control of the Edo state House of Assembly to remove him from office.
Speaking with APC leaders in Edo North and Etsako West Local Government Areas of the state on Friday, Obaskeki claimed that his predecessor in office, Oshiomhole cancelled the primaries conducted by the party ahead of the 2019 general elections and did his own to carry out his alleged plans to remove him from office.
In his words: “He cancelled the primaries that were initially done by the party at the state level for the 2019 general elections and did his own because he could not control us at the executive ( level ). He manipulated the legislature so he could use the House to remove us.”
Obaseki claimed that the APC Chairman thought he could control him and members of his cabinet by deciding on the choice of Philip Shaibu as his Deputy, saying the attempt eventually failed.
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 would always quarrel, fight and then run to him to settle issues.”
According to him, the party and its members do not support godfatherism in the state .
He added, “If you behave like a godfather, we will fight you.”
He said Oshiomhole remained suspended from the party until he apologised to the party.
Obaseki said, “If you cannot be a disciplined member of the party, you will leave the party, whether you are the national chairman or not.”
He said Oshiomhole lied about nominating only one commissioner for his cabinet. He said due process was followed in the suspension of Oshiomhole from the party in the state.
He insisted Oshiomhole could not take any action on behalf of the APC because he was validly suspended from his ward.
The governor 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 apologise to all of us. If he comes back remorseful and apologetic , we will consider taking him back.”
On his part, Edo Deputy Governor, Shaibu who was at the meeting said that the leadership of the party in the senatorial district is united and supportive of the vision to develop the state.
He described Governor Obaseki as a man that has redefined politics in Edo State, noting that no man can truncate the developments being made by the Obaseki led administration.
