Edo 2020: Oshiomhole Plots To Remove Obaseki For Second Term Bid

Agency ReporterJune 28, 2019

0 3 minutes read

The political rift between the National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and his successor, Governor Godwin Obaseki in Edo state has taken another dimension as the incumbent who wishes to run for a second tenure in 2020 is believed to have started making some desperate moves towards actualising his ambitions.

Newsflash247 reliably learnt that the Governor having realised his slim chances of emerging the flagbearer of the APC decided to ditch the ruling party for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The Edo state PDP chieftain who spoke to our political Correspondent on the condition of anonymity said, “of course you are not unaware of the political standoff between the governor and Oshiomhole. It is obvious the governor cannot be given the ticket of APC.

“He has been meeting with us and we have reached a common ground through some of our party members who nurture the ambition of running for that position were irked by some of our resolutions, we are certain that Everybody will fall into line in due time.”

Newsflash247 also gathered that Obaseki’s defection moves from the APC was inspired by Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State prior to the 2019 General Elections when it became clear that Senator George Akume, the leader of the party in the state would not let him fly the ticket of the party. His political associates believe that the only way he could realise his second term agenda was by leaving the APC for another party that had the requisite structure and widespread necessary for winning the governorship election in the state – criteria only the PDP currently possesses.

A close associate of the Governor who pleaded that his name should be off the prints told TheNigerian News that Obaseki is currently meeting with top leaders of the party at both the state and national levels in his quest to fly the ticket of the party come 2020. He further revealed that the governor has met with the state chairman of the party, Chief Dan Orbih and another chieftain of the party, Mr Austin Osawaru over his intentions and he has so far received positive responses from the two PDP leaders in the state.

The investigations of the TheNigerian News, however, revealed that it would not be easy for Mr Obaseki as members of the PDP who also aspires to run for the governorship position have constituted a forum to challenge the planned soft landing some leaders are proposing for the governor. We can authoritatively report that members of the forum met at the residence of the former secretary to the government of Edo state, Pastor Osagie Ize-Inyamu who was also the flagbearer of the party in the 2016 Edo governorship race.

The aspirants who attended the closed-door meeting are former majority leader of the state assembly, Hon. Matthew Iduoriyekenwen, ex-governorship candidate of the All Nigerian People’s Party (ANPP), Chief Solomon Adebisi, a former House of Reps member who contested the 2016 PDP governorship primaries, Hon. Ehiozuwa Johnson Agbonayinma and the chairman of Pacesetters group of schools, Mr Kenneth Imasuagbon, a philanthropist who defected to PDP in 2018 having lost the 2016 APC Guber primaries to the Obasaki. The forum in that secret meeting vowed to constitute themselves into a formidable force and insist on a transparent primary for the PDP so as to wade off the emergence of any consensus candidate.

PDP leaders are currently divided with the majority viewing the imminent defection of the governor as a good development taking cognizance of the fact that his coming into the party will boost their chances at the polls and as well bring resources and unprecedented political fortune to the party.

The battle has taken a fiercer posture as Newsflash247 reliably gathered that the national chairman of APC, Comr Adams Oshiomhole is also making political calculations that will see to the removal of the governor from office before the elections.

A move the Governor seems to have foreseen and therefore insisted on the emergence of House of Assembly members loyal to him as principal officers of the 7th assembly.