There was a straight exchange of words in two different releases made available to the press from two Edo key players within the rank of All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state. Governor Goodwin Nogheghase Obaseki first stoked the exchange in a press release where he demanded that the APC national Chairman, Adams Oshiomole should steer clear of the Edo Primaries, noting that with the obvious feud between he and Oshiomole, the latter could use his exalted office to skew the Edo Primaries against him, hence the need to recuse himself from anything that has to do with the Edo Primaries.
Governor Obaseki , it will be recalled, have been having a running battle with his predecessor and national party Chairman for almost a year and half. The matter came to a head with the blatant refusal of Gov. Obaseki to swear him 14 lawmakers loyal to the Adams Oshiomole faction of the party in the state.
Governor Obaseki claimed that he would not enjoy a fair run at the Primaries with his political arch rival, Oshiomole superintending the all important exercise, thus all people of fair conscience should prevail on Adams Oshiomole to hands off activities pertaining to the forthcoming primaries in the state.
While clarifying the extent of his unwavered loyalty to Oshomole, Obaseki said while he worked as Oshomole’s head of Economic Team, he worked assiduously without being paid a salary, stressing that as the incumbent, the Constitution doesn’t empower him to hand over the reins of power to others.
While reacting to Obaseki’s statement, former Executive Director Media and Publicity to former Governor Adams Oshiomole, who is now Director of Media and Publicity of Ize Iyamu campaign organization, Mr. John Mayaki said Governor Obaseki’s prayer is laughable and stands logic on its head. He said Obaseki in his confusion has quickly forgotten that the mandate Oshiomole has was collectively given to him by all the card carrying members of Apc at the national convention of the party, therefore he cannot relinquish it because a state Governor at his wit’s end has ignorantly endowed the office of the national Chairman of the party with powers he doesn’t wield as a democratically elected party chairman.
While describing Gov Obaseki’s opinion as a nonsensical argument that has exposed his fatigue as a result of his failed bid to get his nomination endorsed in Lagos, John Mayaki said perhaps the Edo state Governor too should relinquish his office since he is a party of interest in the forthcoming primaries and perhaps he forgot observers would assume he could also use the power of incumbency to put his candidacy at a vantage position.
John Miyaki maintained that rather than rouse spurious and unsubstantiated claims that reveal his underbelly as a desperate Governor, Obaseki should face the business of governance and prepare himself for the Edo APC primaries, more especially now that it has become obvious that his bid to be the unopposed candidate of APC in the primary has fallen flat irredemably.
Mayaki said Gov. Obaseki will want the world to believe that he headed Oshiomole’s Economic team for free, yet his allowances as the head of that team tripled the monthly pay of any state commissioner, adding that while he collected no salary, he was the chairman who traveled abroad almost five times in one single month , drawing estacodes that was huge enough the salary of three commissioners combined.
