Stakeholders, including the officials of the Edo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and gubernatorial aspirants thursday declared that the National Chairman of the party, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole, is an asset to the party, the state and Nigeria as a whole.
They vowed to resist any attempt to rubbish the person of the national chairman in whatever guise and reaffirmed the fact that the overwhelming majority of Edo people hold Oshiomhole in the highest esteem.
Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu stated this while speaking on behalf of the gubernatorial aspirants including Dr. Pius Odubu, Mr. Chris Ogiemwonyi, General Charles Airhiavbere (rtd) and Hon. Saturday Uwuilwkhwe at a press conference in Benin City.
On the heels of a court order purportedly suspending Oshiomhole from office, he said that Edo people, were solidly behind Oshiomhole saying, “We appreciate him and we believe he has done very well.”
Commenting on the purported court order which on Wednesday suspended Comrade Oshiomhole from office, Ize-Iyamu said, it was a shameful to watch the state governor Obaseki jubilating over the so-called court order.
“I was ashamed to see the Governor of Edo State elected on the platform of the APC rejoicing that an eminent son of Edo State, the former governor of the state, the man whom God used to make him governor; the man who had to campaign for him; the man who spoke for him everywhere they went, jubilating and singing all over Benin City, that Oshiomhole has been suspended as national chairman.”
According to Ize-Iyamu, there is no way the removal of Oshiomhole will guarantee a second term ticket for Godwin Obaseki, arguing that, “it is even ridiculous to imagine that if the national chairman were to be removed, automatically a second term is guaranteed. It shows how shallow they are in their thinking”.
Referring to a similar episode which saw the governor jubilating when the NDDC board chaired by another illustrous Edo son, Dr. Pius Odubu was suspended by the President for an interim board, Ize-Iyamu said, “a man who glorifies in Edo people being removed from offices cannot be allowed to remain in office.”
He said it is lamentable that a governor who should be at the forefront of promoting the interest of Edo people and ensuring that Edo people get quality positions and appointments is now at the forefront of ensuring that they are removed from the positions which they hold.
He also recalled the recent attitude of the governor over the episode in Bayelsa State and said, “the only reason why we can tolerate this behavior is that this is not just household wickedness, as it is not only being done to the people of Edo south or Edo state.”
The gubernatorial aspirant said, “There are certain persons who hold very high offices in the APC but at heart have long decamped from the party. These saboteurs no matter the positions they hold must be identified, condemned and sent out of the party.”
Pastor Ize-Iyamu then declared that all aspirants and stakeholders were in support of the call for the national leadership of the party to urgently intervene to rescue the state chapter of the APC from the stranglehold of the state governor, Obaseki whom he called , ‘Emperor of Edo’.
He also announced that since the governor who recently announced that he has banned tallies across Edo was now holding rallies, stakeholders will have no option than to hold rallies since the, “governor has no respect for what he decreed.”
Also speaking former State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Henry Idahagbon, at the press briefing specifically called on the national leader of the party, President Muhammadu Buhari and Senator Ahmed Bola Tinubu to, as a matter of urgency intervene in the Edo APC crisis because, Governor Godwin Obaseki has alienated both the leadership and membership of the party in Edo.
Idahagbon who said, the party has suffered for too long and should be rescued before it gets out of hand said, “We have suffered for too long under the dictatorship of Godwin Obaseki. The national leadership should not wait for all of us to be crushed before they come to our aid.”
Idahagbon who said that there were about 3,000 pellets from bullets fired at his Law Chambers when an attempt was recently made on his life, said there were credible governorship aspirants in the party who can continue in November 2020 when Obaseki’s tenure ends.
