Recent actions of Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo state against his benefactor, ex-Governor Adams Oshiomhole tends to suggest he is not at the mercy of his ‘godfather’. PATRICK AHANOR reports.
2020 the kettle of fish
Recent accusations and counter accusations between Edo state governor, Godwin Obaseki, and his benefactor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, showed that it will be a straight fight between the “godfather” and “godson” at the time the Independent National Electoral Election Commission (INEC) unveils its timeline of events for the state’s governorship election billed for 2020.
The duo have reportedly been locked in supremacy battle for the control of the party apparatus in the state since the early stages of Obaseki’s administration over the choice of commissioner nominees, APC candidacy for the state local government elections held in March 2018 and the party’s primaries to select its flag bears for the 2019 general polls.
Godson disagrees
It was learnt that whilst the governor reportedly surrendered to the his benefactor, who is also the national chairman of the party, he, however, vehemently rejected attempts to deprive him of his input on who emerges the APC candidate in his senatorial district (Edo South) because, according to him, Oshiomhole hails from Edo North senatorial district.
Besides, a primary purportedly supervised by the governor on October 4, 2018 was nullified by the APC National Working Committee less than 24 hours after Obaseki declared the exercise as “transparent” and thereafter trolled the media over alleged negative reportage of the exercise.
However, both men reportedly managed their differences and temporarily put their disagreements aside in order not to jeopardize the party’s participation at the general polls. The feud, however, resurfaced during the inauguration of the state House of Assembly over the choice of principal officers.
Buoyed by the numerical strength of 19 members-elect out of 24, the Oshiomhole’s camp was said to have rejected the party’s consensus to elect Frank Okiye as speaker of the House.
Whilst observers believed that Okiye is a loyalist of Obaseki, the 19 pro-Oshiomhole members-elect insisted on electing a speaker among themselves without “external influence”.
Things, however, got to a head following the “secret inauguration” of nine members believed to have the backing of Governor Obaseki at about 10.P.M on June 17.
The APC National Working committee, which Oshiomhole chairs, and the National Assembly, took turns to take a swipe at the inauguration and ordered the governor to issue fresh proclamation for proper inauguration, an order that have since been voided by the court.
And ever since, a close analysis of unfolding events in the party suggest that the duo may be fighting the biggest political battle of their lives. Whilst Obaseki appeared to have taken hold of the party’s structure in the State, his estranged “godfather” no doubt is miles ahead of him in Abuja power play.
This was evident as the governor at various occasion returned with a “bloody nose” each time he nominates candidates for federal government appoints.
Sudden disquiet
There was disquiet in the governor’s camp after his ministerial nominee was dropped in favour of the present Minister for State, Budget and National Planning, Mr Clement Agba, a two-term commissioner during Adams Oshiomhole’s administration and the appointment of Dr Osagie Ehanire, the present Minister of Health.
While many residents from within and outside the state hailed the appointments because it is the first time the state would be producing two ministers at the federal executive council, there was no official statement from the governor congratulating the appointees or thanking President Muhammadu Buhari for the goodwill extended to the state.
Political observers are of the view that the recent federal government appointments from the state which include, the board chairman, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr Pius Odubu and the state representative in the commission, Chief Victor Ekhator, were another below the belt blow to governor as he has no inputs in the appointments.
Angered over the development, Obaseki joined Niger Delta governors during a press briefing to reject President Muhammadu Buhari’s appointments into the NDDC.
Seriake Dickson, governor of Bayelsa state, who addressed journalists on behalf of others at the time, said the appointments process does not reflect effective governance mechanism even as he noted their concerns arose from protest by stakeholders across the nine member states of NDDC.
Groundwork for his loyalists
Not long after the Abuja press briefing, Governor Obaseki in one fell swoop fired over 300 aides which include Special Assistants and Senior Special Assistants. Though Secretary to the State Government, Osarodion Ogie Esq. in a statement claimed the sack is to reorganize governance structure and added that “fresh appointments will be announced within the next 30 days.”
The mass purge was in addition to the earlier sacking of eight commissioners believed to be loyal to Oshiomhole.
Besides, four local government chairmen believed to be loyal to Adams Oshiomhole have been suspended on corrupt allegations in addition to the recent sacking of supervisory counselors and special advisers in all the 18 local government areas of the state.
Insider source said:“It’s the general believe within the government circle that majority of the governor’s aides are members of Edo Peoples Movement (EPM), a group reportedly loyal to Adams Oshiomole.
The group has constituted itself as an opposition within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) against Governor Obaseki’s policies and programmes.
Also, the EPM have consistently accused the governor of abandoning the party’s manifestoes and vowed to stop the governor from securing the party’s ticket for reelection, an accusation the governor denied.
Aside the termination of appointments apparently targeted at public officials loyal to Oshiomhole, recent utterances of the governor suggest he may have thrown his hat into the ring in preparation for the many political battles ahead of his second term bid.
The Benin meting
At a meeting with Benin Unity League at the Government House in Benin City, Obaseki declared that his interest to continue in office after his first four year term is for the right reasons, adding that “second term for me, is non-negotiable”.
He noted that no individual can determine who will become governor because according to him, “only God and the people can make the decision. I am demanding it (second term), because I deserve it and I think I have earned it.
“I want to assure you that this is a fight in which we will prevail. We will fight and succeed. If anybody thinks I will back out, he must be day-dreaming because it is not my fight.
“…it is a fight for the right purpose. I am not going to back off because I know victory is sure,” the governor said.
He added that nobody can accuse him of implementing a wrong policy, adding that the accusations had been on him not focusing on stomach infrastructure.
Similarly, the governor vowed to flush out dissidents in the party during the inauguration of new board members for the state agencies.
Obaseki said: “I want to thank those APC members that have remained committed. You know we have not wasted government money. We are progressives because we want to make tomorrow better for our children. Many have derailed. We thank God they have derailed because their hearts were not pure.
“We will flush them out. We own the land. We determine who our leader will be. Nobody can come here and impose on us who we don’t want,” he stated.
Except urgent steps are taken to unite the actors in the crisis rocking the State APC, the party could be an opposition to itself at the Edo governorship poll and risk going the way of “Zamfara and Imo exit”
