The feud between the Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki and APC Chairman Adams Oshiomole has lingered, as the intervention of APC Governors to address the rift proved abortive.
The 9 Governors including Obaseki met the APC National leader, Bola Tinubu in Lagos of recent, while 7 APC Governors met with the National Working Committee in Abuja.
The Committee chose direct primary for the Gubernatorial primaries scheduled to hold on the 22nd of June 2020. This move has been strongly resisted by a faction of APC in Edo state said to on Obaseki’s side of the divide.
The Kebbi State Governor Atiku Bagudu while briefing journalists said the meeting with the party’s National leadership is to talk about issues that will move the party forward.
Oshiomole revealed that he had not received a formal letter from Obaseki over his variance on the Party’s mode of Primaries just as he noted that the reports of disagreement over the mode of primaries adopted by the APC were mere speculations.
“We have since published our time table because, under the law, we are required to give INEC at least 21 days’ notice to monitor our primaries and to state the mode of our primaries and of course NEC has approved direct primaries for Edo. That of Ondo has not been discussed because that will come much later because Edo will come about three weeks before Ondo. Obaseki is not here but issues of primaries are well spelt out in our constitution and we are following it as strictly as possible. So, there is nothing to worry about at all.
A Source who attended the close door meeting told ThisDay newspaper that Oshiomole informed the Governors that it was medicine after death to rally round Obaseki and give him an automatic ticket for another term.
Enraged Oshiomole was said to have challenged the Governors why they failed to convince Obaseki when he offered the Olive branch through many reconciliation committees including the one chaired by the Kano State Governor, Umar Ganduje.
Oshiomole also allegedly cautioned the Governors to desist from forcing Obaseki on the people of Edo State while referring to the outcome of Adamawa and Bauchi elections which the party lost to the PDP.
In some quarters some believe Obaseki failed to manage the rift between him and Oshiomole, on the other hand, the Edo State Governor stated categorically that the APC Chairman actions did not follow the due process just as he noted that he was ready to sheath the sword for the sake of Edo people.
‘It is unfortunate, the position he has taken. I believe that he was misguided, well not properly guided and as governor and his governor, it is my responsibility to seek peace for my state and with all my citizens. the relationship is still frosty. I’m doing all I can, doing my best to try and make it warm, try and meet just for the sake of Edo people. Whatever it will take to have peace, you know; whatever it will take not to lose lives in Edo, I am committed to it” He said
He described the situation where another aspirant was contesting against the incumbent as a disadvantage and a mark of disharmony within the party.
Meanwhile, in a battle for supremacy between Oshiomole and Obaseki, The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has restrained the Governor of Edo State Godwin Obaseki, the Department of State Service and the Inspector General of Police from taking any action on the report of the State Judicial Commission of inquiry which accused the APC chairman of corruption.
Justice Ahmed Mohammed ordered that pending the time the court will entertain Oshiomole’s suit, the respondent must stop anything in connection to the matter.
Edo State Government, dissatisfied by the stance of the court and in the know of the twist of event, swiftly filed a preliminary objection through its lawyer, Alex Ejeiseme (SAN), who disagreed with the hearing of the exparte application on the ground that the court had no official rights to entertain it.
The court ordered the lawyer to the APC chairman to serve all respondents within 48 hours as the matter was adjourned till the 17th of June 2020.
