…Reaches out to Fayemi, Bagudu, El-Rufai, others
- Oshiomhole’s camp intensifies search for Edo gov’s replacement
- Buhari’s endorsement of Obaseki, Akeredolu, ploy to rig- PDP
As part of the efforts to stop the plan by the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole to conduct a direct governorship primary election in Edo State, Governor Godwin Obaseki, at the weekend, intensified moves to secure the support of some state governors on the platform of the party, The Point has learnt.
It was gathered that Obaseki, at the weekend, reached out to no fewer than eight APC governors and other powerful party chieftains to seek their support against the alleged plan by the party leadership at the national level under Oshiomhole “to deny him a second term ticket.”
The Point also learnt that Obaseki also appealed to the governors to pressurise the APC National Working Committee members from their various states not to back Oshiomhole’s plan to adopt the direct primary method for electing the APC standard bearer in the September governorship election in Edo State.
A credible party chieftain, who pleaded anonymity, told The Point that Governor Obaseki “took Oshiomhole’s case afresh” to the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, who is also the Ekiti State governor; Chairman, Progressives Governors Forum, Alhaji Abubakar Atiku-Bagudu of Kebbi State; Jigawa State Governor, Muhammad Badaru; Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State; and Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello.
Recall that in March this year, these five APC governors along with Obaseki and a popular minister from the South South were fingered as the masterminds of the plot to kick Oshiomhole out of the office of the party’s National Chairman over control of events that will lead to the party’s presidential primary for the 2023 poll and his perceived sympathy and preference for the National Leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, as successor to President Buhari.
The party chieftain said that the APC governors believed that Oshiomhole was still being vindictive over his disagreement with Obaseki in Edo, particularly the governor’s role in the failed plot to remove him as the party’s national chairman, by planning to produce a consensus candidate that would contest against Obaseki in a direct governorship primary election.
“The APC governors believe that Oshiomhole’s plan to conduct a direct primary in Edo is aimed at denying Governor Obaseki a second term ticket. They see Oshiomhole as poised now to take his own pound of flesh from Obaseki for allying with them to sack him from the office of the APC national chairman. And they are prepared to checkmate him,” he said.
The APC primary in Edo State has been scheduled to hold next month, with the governorship election fixed for September and the party’s National Working Committee under Oshiomhole ordering the conduct of a direct primary for the emergence of the party’s governorship candidate in the state.
Obaseki and Oshiomhole have been entangled in a perennial battle over the control of the APC machinery in Edo State, a rivalry which has continued to degenerate.
Governor Obaseki’s Special Adviser on Media and Strategy, Crusoe Osagie, had said at the weekend that the NWC had no powers to take any decisions on the primary without the National Executive Committee of the party.
Obaseki’s spokesman said a recent statement by a former governor of the state, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun had already confirmed that President Muhammadu Buhari had adopted Obaseki and Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, as the preferred candidates for the governorship elections in Edo and Ondo, respectively, unless they did not wish to run.
But Oshiomhole’s camp, it was learnt, had intensified its search for a consensus aspirant among the seven vying to contest the governorship primary of the APC in Edo State following the recent deadlock over attempts to pick one among them to contest for the ticket against Obaseki.
These seven aspirants include a former deputy governor, Pius Odubu; ex-minister of state for works, Chris Ogiemwonyi; Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, Solomon Edebiri, Saturday Uwalekhue, Prof Ebegue Amadasun and Ehiozuwa Agbonayinma.
The Point learnt that the consensus arrangement is aimed at giving whoever emerges, and who they have all agreed to support, the advantage to defeat Governor Obaseki in the forthcoming primary election.
The conduct of the forthcoming primary in Edo has been generating serious political controversies in the state with Oshiomhole’s supporters said to be strategising continuously on how to present a formidable aspirant against Obaseki in the party primary.
The direct primary, it was learnt, would involve all registered card-carrying members of the party in all the local government councils in the state.
OBASEKI’s, OSHIOMHOLE’s LOYALISTS DISAGREE
But the state’s Commissioner for Youth and Special Duties, who also doubles as the National Coordinator of the Obaseki/Shuaibu Movement, Damian Lawani, said the statement by a former national chairman of the APC, Odigie-Oyegun, that President Buhari had endorsed a second term automatic tickets for both Obaseki and his Ondo State counterpart, Rotimi Akeredolu, should not be dismissed with a wave of the hand.
Lawani told The Point that Odigie-Oyegun should be taken seriously because he meant well for the people of the state.
He said, “Chief John Odigie-Oyegun is a respected national leader of our party. He cannot speak on what he is not sure of. He only voiced out the President’s stand on this issue. Can you imagine, Oshiomhole and his people don’t like Edo people. At this time that we are fighting to defeat Covid-19, Oshiomhole is busy adopting direct primaries, where well over one million people will gather in their various wards to vote. That is crime against Edo State, crime against humanity.
“The governor and the NCDC signed a document that certain number of persons will be allowed to gather. Covid-19 forced our government to wind down our schools, our religious houses and businesses, how can we allow greedy or self -centered people to use Covid-19 to kill our people? ”
Lawani, who is also a former member of the Edo State House of Assembly, challenged Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu to prove to the world that he’s a card carrying member of APC in his ward.
“We need not to deceive ourselves, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu know that he is not a member of Edo State APC. Has he registered in his ward? The answer is no. If Oshiomhole is giving him a wavier in Abuja, he should as well issue him party card in Abuja. The Constitution says you should first and foremost be a member in your ward; that is why Oshiomhole is being challenged from his ward after his suspension as a member. So, my brother, let them be fooling themselves. ”
But an APC chieftain loyal to Oshiomhole, Pastor Jerry Idia, accused Oyegun of being selfish and self-centred.
Idia said the former APC national chairman had never been known to be helpful to the people of the state.
He said, “That the man is an example of how not to be a leader. When he was Federal permanent secretary, it is on record that he always avoided Edo people and never helped any Edo person.
“Oyegun should mention just one Edo man he has helped. I am sure there is none. No wonder he has consistently lost his unit in election. He goes to the polling centre alone. Even his drivers and domestic staff do not vote. I am still surprised he became National Chairman of APC, where like Godwin Obaseki, he betrayed those who made him Chairman.
“It is a shame now that Oyegun has decided to be a hireling of Godwin Obaseki, just because he found it hard to forgive Oshiomhole for replacing him as Chairman. Oyegun was APC National Chairman for four years and there is no single Edo man he helped to get any appointment, because he cares about himself only. There is no project he attracted to Edo State. He only used the Chairmanship to rehabilitate himself. Oyegun cannot compare with Oshiomhole in terms of empowering Edo people and providing political leadership to the APC. Where political leaders are talking, Oyegun should take a back seat.”
Another Oshiomhole supporter, Hon. Benson Edosomwan, who is the Edo State APC Vice-Chairman, South and APC Edo South Senatorial Leader, also took on Oyegun, saying even during the last National Executive Committee meeting, the President publicly admonished all party members to be guided by the dictates and content of the APC constitution.
Speaking further, he said he could recall that the NWC had directed Governor Obaseki to issue a new proclamation letter and ensure that the exempted 14 APC Edo State House of Assembly members-elect were inaugurated, but nine months after the directive, the governor had yet to obey the lawful order.
“Governor Obaseki violated with impunity Article 21 sub-section VII of the party constitution that outlaws flouting the rules, regulations, and decisions of the party, engaging in dishonest practices and thuggery. Numerous APC leaders in Edo state have been victims of Governor Obaseki’s blackmail, intimidation, and thuggery demonstrated in the demolition of hotels and other properties belonging to APC members, illegal dismissal from work, illegal removal of elected council chairmen and councillors, public harassment of the National Chairman, including the blockage of the entrance to his private residence in Benin, and sponsorship of hoodlums to attack him at the Benin Airport,” he said.
Last week, some APC stakeholders in Edo warned that Oshiomhole’s unprovoked battles against the party in Edo could be counter-productive.
They accused the APC national chairman of endangering the chances of the party in September governorship election in the state.
BUHARI’s ENDORSEMENT OF OBASEKI, AKEREDOLU PLOY TO RIG POLLS- PDP
However, the Peoples Democratic Party has said that the recent endorsement by President Buhari of Obaseki and Akeredolu for a second term had set the stage for a compromise and rigging of the forthcoming governorship elections in the two states by the ruling APC.
The Publicity Secretary of the PDP in Ondo State, Mr. Ayo Fadaka, told The Point that Buhari’s statement was an indication that the APC would employ “Federal might” to ensure victory at the forthcoming governorship elections in Edo and Ondo states.
He, however, said that the plan to present Akeredolu as its candidate for the governorship election in the state would give the PDP an edge over the APC at the October poll as the people of the state had got “tired” with the incumbent governor.
“The comment allegedly made by Chief John Odigie-Oyegun that President Muhammadu Buhari has endorsed Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State and Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo for a second term has nothing to do with the PDP. As far as we are concerned, we are preparing steadily for the coming election and we are sure we are going to win.
“We will be happier if Akeredolu emerges as APC gubernatorial candidate because it will ensure an easy win for us. The people of Ondo State are tired of Akeredolu and the APC. Featuring Akeredolu as APC Governorship candidate will give us an avenue of showcasing his bad management of the affairs of the state in the last four years.
“But the PDP is in the process of rounding off regarding the preparations for the election coming up later in the year. I can assure you that when we finish the primary election, we will start full preparations for the election. Our only fear is that APC should not use the Federal might to compromise the election. We are preparing very hard and we are sure we will be able to tackle all their antics as we go into the election.”
Responding, the Director of Media and Publicity, Ondo State APC, Steve Otaloro, described Akeredolu’s endorsement by President Buhari as a welcome development.
Otaloro said the governor deserved such an endorsement by the President, having performed well in office.
He, however, assured that the APC in Ondo State would still conduct a credible primary for the election of its governorship candidate.
He said, “President Muhammadu Buhari, as a member of our great party, has the right to endorse anybody he feels he has confidence in to deliver the dividends of democracy. Arakunrin Akeredolu has done so much for the people of Ondo State and you remember that the President visited Ondo State recently to inaugurate the industrial hubs, one of which is in Ore and many other projects. If after the visit, he has seen the good performance by Akeredolu, there is nothing wrong in what he has done.
“The endorsement will not affect any other aspirant as we are going to conduct a credible primary where all candidates will be given equal chance. Our primary election will be free and fair, that I can assure you.”
