The former governor of Edo state, Adams Oshiomhole, has assured members of his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state that the party’s victory in the forthcoming governorship election is non-negotiable.
Oshiomhole who addressed his supporters in Edo during the weekend, expressed the confidence that the APC would win the September 19 election, reminding them that “God has taken out the snake,” a remark many believe was directed at his former political associate and now archenemy- Godwin Obaseki, the incumbent governor of the state.
The former national chairman of the ruling party who has restricted his appearances in the public following the dissolution of the national working committee (NWC) that he led, said he was back on ground to return the state to the ruling party.
“I did not expect that anybody would still be here. I wanted to come in quietly,” he said.
“God has taken the snake out of our house and to where he belongs. I have come home to join you and start the process of reclaiming the house back to the family of APC.
“I want to assure you ‘I dey kampe’. What gives me joy is that as they say, ‘he with God is a majority.’
“Now, I have only one mission and I’m sure it is our common mission to bring Edo back to the path of sustainable development. We want to bring back the era of red roof; we want to bring back roads with drainage; we want to return to government of the people, by the people, and for the people.”
Oshiomhole’s former godson, governor Godwin Obaseki crossed over to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after he was screened out of the APC governorship race purportedly on the instruction of the former national chairman of the party.
The PDP had granted him waiver to contest its primary and he won the party’s ticket.
Obaseki and Osagie Ize-Iyamu would again go head to head in the September election. The duo fought it out in 2016 with Obaseki as the candidate of the APC and Ize-Iyamu the flag bearer for the PDP. The table has now turned and both would have to run on the banners of the political parties they once campaigned against.
