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Tag: Obaseki

  • Edo 2020: Obaseki’s ‘carrot and stick’ olive branch, By Ehichioya Ezomon

    Edo 2020: Obaseki’s ‘carrot and stick’ olive branch, By Ehichioya Ezomon

    By Ehichioya Ezomon

    Doing a postmortem on the September 19, 2020, governorship election in Edo State, let’s consider the issue of power and character, as they relate to Governor-elect Godwin Obaseki.
    On Tuesday, September 22, Obaseki featured in two events where he made contradictory statements as a fallout of the hotly-contested election tagged, ‘Edo 2020.’
    As he preached cooperation with his government, the govenor extended the “olive branch” to Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, even as he threatened to deal with him should he step out of line.
    That day, Obaseki and Deputy Governor-elect, Philip Shaibu, were at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office in Benin City, to receive “Certificates of Return” for their re-election.
    Obaseki also appeared on ‘The Morning Show’ on ARISE TV, and fielded questions on the election, and his dealings with Oshiomhole, his estranged predecessor in office.
    Receiving the electoral certificate, Obaseki called on Oshiomhole, the APC candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, members of the APC and other parties to join his administration in developing Edo State.
    His words: “I use this opportunity to extend the hands of fellowship to my brother, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu and his other colleagues in the APC, as well as other political parties to join hands with us to move Edo forward.
    “I call on Adams Oshiomhole that the fight is over and he should come and join in building the house which he was part of, in laying the foundation. We have no malice but only disagree on the approach in moving Edo forward.”
    But on the television programme, Obaseki returned to “the fight” he had said was over. He labeled Oshiomhole and the National Leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, as “danger to democracy,” and vowed to discipline Oshiomhole if he misbehaved.
    Obaseki decried the roles both men assume in the polity. “For us, the challenge with people like Oshiomhole and Ahmed Tinubu is that they change their style and attitude; they pose a big danger to our democracy because they are extra-constitutional players.
    “They are non-constitutional actors. There is no role; the role of leader. There is nothing in the constitution of our country or the constitution of that party (APC) giving the role of leader. The title, leader, has no role, no constitutional backing.”
    Though he affirms Oshiomhole and Tinubu’s usefulness in the polity, Obaseki argues that the titles they bandy should be earned out of respect, without conferring on them any constitutional role.
    On if he would run Oshiomhole out of town, as he had boasted, Obaseki warned him to “conduct himself in a civilized manner,” as he would “show no mercy” if Oshiomhole menaced Edo’s security.
    “I have no plans (to chase Oshiomhole out) but if he continues to behave the way he has done, if he continues to be destructive, if he continues to fund his ‘lions and tigers’ in Edo State, and if he tries to create problems for us here, then, we will not have any mercy.”
    For a governor craving for reconciliation after a contentious and bitter election, these are not comforting words for the opposition elements still smarting from “defeat.”
    You can’t seek peace, and yet engage in sabre-rattling, blow hot and cold, or wave the carrot and stick. They don’t mesh. You should choose and stand for one alternative.
    There’re cascading questions. When did Obaseki realise that Oshiomhole and Tinubu were anti-democratic, and pose a danger to Nigeria’s democracy? Is it pre or post-the September 19 poll?
    When Oshiomhole ignored protests by core APC members, and from Obaseki’s family members not to trust him, and “imposed” him on Edo people, Oshiomhole wasn’t a danger to democracy?
    When Oshiomhole literally carried Obaseki on his back, and campaigned for him, as if he (Oshiomhole) was on the ballot, he’s wasn’t anti-democratic?
    When Obaseki became governor, and described Oshiomhole in superlatives as “Our leader,” “our mentor,” and “a freedom fighter,” Oshiomhole wasn’t a danger to democracy?
    When Obaseki’s re-election bid was on the line, and he enlisted co-governors and went to Lagos to solicit Tinubu’s backing, the former Lagos State governor wasn’t a danger to democracy?
    On what premise did Obaseki go to Tinubu? Was it because he’s an ordinary party man or on his recognition as the “National Leader” of the APC, who’s the clout to assist his re-election aspiration?
    If Tinubu had acceded to Obaseki’s pleas, or if he didn’t make a “robot call” to Edo voters to back Ize-Iyamu at the poll, would Tinubu have constituted a danger to democracy?
    The sting in Obaseki’s deliveries is that he and Oshiomhole “don’t share the same values or trust at all,” adding that for Oshiomhole to be forgiven, “he must earn his (governor’s) trust again.”
    “It’s his (Oshiomhole’s) responsibility to build back that trust. As we say in Edo, ‘everybody should now maintain their lane,’ as whatever he is, and I will maintain mine,” Obaseki said.
    Surely, Oshiomhole is down, and as the villain, he “must” earn the trust of Obaseki, whom he (Oshiomhole) had trusted, and afforded him the reins of governance. That’s the irony of life!
    Power brings out the character in man. Or, as prominent American writer and orator, Robert Ingersoll, put it in 1883: “If you want to test a man’s character, give him power.”
    As he attested to President Abraham Lincoln’s character in a speech in Washington, D.C., Ingersoll said: “Nothing discloses real character like the use of power. It is easy for the weak to be gentle. Most people can bear adversity. But if you wish to know what a man really is, give him power. This is the supreme test. It is the glory of Lincoln that, having almost absolute power, he never abused it, except on the side of mercy.”
    Legendary Mahatma Gandhi once said: “Power is of two kinds. One is obtained by the fear of punishment and the other by acts of love. Power based on love is a thousand times more effective and permanent than the one derived from fear of punishment.”
    What about the idiom: “Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely”? Should all this define Obaseki’s status in the current power prism in Edo State? No!
    But with power, he’s showing his character that’s latent when he served in the Oshiomhole government of 2008 to 2016, knowing he doesn’t “share the same values or trust” as Oshiomhole’s, and yet presented himself as a trustworthy successor. What deception!
    Going forward, will Obaseki, in his dealings with Oshiomhole, and the so-called tigers and lions, choose to apply his power for “mercy,” as Lincoln did, and for “love,” as posited by Gandhi?
    Or did he obtain power “by the fear of punishment,” in which case he would deploy it to crush his real or imaginary adversaries? The ball is in the governor’s court to play whichever way he deems fit!
    Yet, if I were to hazard a counsel, Obaseki should follow his pacifist preachment on the eve of the September 19 poll, when, among others, he had advised the Edo electorate that:
    “If anybody decides to act in a violent manner, just walk away because our lives are very precious. I have a covenant with God; if it will cost the blood of anybody for me to get into power, he should not let me have power.”
    Well, God having answered his prayers, Obaseki should “just walk away,” as doing so isn’t a sign of weakness, but a mark of strength and leadership that he’s assumed in Edo State.

    * Mr. Ezomon, Journalist and Media Consultant, writes from Lagos, Nigeria.

  • Why Edo election was adjudged credible – Wike

    Why Edo election was adjudged credible – Wike

    Gov. Nyesom Wike of Rivers says the Edo Governorship poll has been adjudged credible because the process was transparent, while the result reflected the wish of the people.

    A statement issued by Paulinus Nsirim, the Commissioner for Information and Communications, quoted Wike to have said so in a live television programme on Friday in Port Harcourt.

    According to him, the Edo election was the first time everybody, including the civil society groups, agreed that everything went on well.

    Wike claimed that security agencies did not allow thugs to overrun the polling units during the election.

    He said that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) campaigned from ward to ward and the people of Edo resolved not to be taken for granted.

    “If what was witnessed in Edo continues then there is hope for healthy democratic process in Nigeria,” he said.

    Meanwhile, Wike has raised alarm that attempts were being made to compromise the process of the upcoming governorship poll in Ondo state.

    He said that “while the people of Edo fought godfatherism, Ondo people would respond to several unfulfilled promises made to them by the All Progressives Congress (APC)’’.

    “The national leadership of APC is not happy that they lost Edo to PDP and would do everything possible not to lose Ondo state,’’ Wike said.

    He further said that “having lost Edo, everything will be done not to lose Ondo because they know that will mean the end of APC’’.

    “I fear that INEC and the security agencies may succumb to pressure. But I pray they resist it and continue to defend democracy.

    “In Ondo state, the will of the people will be against APC and incumbency will not work,” he said.
    The statement added that Wike also described state governors as “Chief Logistics Officers and not Chief Security Officers’’.

    “Governors do not have control over security in their states because those securing them can be withdrawn at will,’’ he said.

    He was also quoted to have promised that his administration would soon employ 6,000 teachers to improve the quality of education in Rivers.

  • Just in: Obaseki meets Buhari, says It’ll be immoral to return to APC

    Just in: Obaseki meets Buhari, says It’ll be immoral to return to APC

    Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State on Friday said he cannot return to the All Progressives Congress, APC, after he defected to seek re-election in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

    Obaseki won re-election last Saturday on the platform of the PDP after defeating Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu of the APC.

    There have been insinuations that he might soon return to the APC, his former base before he defected due to the activities of Adams Oshiomhole.

    But on Friday, the governor, after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja said it would be immoral for him to return to APC.

    Responding to questions from newsmen after meeting Buhari, he affirmed that leaving the PDP for the APC goes against Buhari’s gospel of integrity.

    He also said he would not replace Oshiomhole as the new godfather of Edo politics.

    Also, Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State had said the Edo governor was free to join any party he chose to, but said on moral grounds, Obaseki would not take such a decision because he was given an umbrella when he was left in the cold.

  • Edo: What Happened? – Azu Ishiekwene

    Azu Ishiekwene

    It was not supposed to end this way. Like the promo of a mismatch between David and Goliath, many believed, with reasons, that Governor Godwin Obaseki would be beaten to a pulp.

    To make matters worse, Obaseki was not just up against one Goliath. He was taking on Goliath Plus, an array of modern and ancient forces comprising the ecclesiastical armies of Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu and the revolutionary guard led by Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.

    Obaseki’s dilemma was highlighted in a pre-election interview which Oshiomhole granted Channels TV. When the comrade was asked his response to Obaseki’s threat to end his reign as the new godfather of Edo politics, Oshiomhole barely restrained his disdain.

    “How can a lizard threaten to end the political career of a lion?” he asked.

    That was the setting for the governorship election in Edo on Saturday: it was supposed to be a contest between the lizard and the lion; a contest that only fools would dare to bet on.

    The expectation of a crushing defeat for Obaseki was not based on the face value of Comrade’s boast alone. It was also based on anecdotal wisdom of what can and does happen in politics when Federal might is invested in a political candidate.

    There have been exceptions, of course. On the whole, however, when Federal might is behind a candidate, it moves the security services, deploys money, invokes just about anything, including hell and high water, to ensure victory for its candidate. Crush the enemy first, and if they ever recover, they can go to court.

    Oshiomhole was himself once a victim of this system. Having mastered it and crossed over to the side of the wielders, however, his boasts carry a hint of enhanced capacity. Not a few otherwise politically active people I know went to bed on the night of Saturday, September 19, not bothering to check the fragments of results trickling in from Edo. With Federal might at the disposal of Ize-Iyamu, any reports of Obaseki in early lead meant nothing. Anything could still happen overnight.

    After Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike gave a press conference that his hotel had been cordoned off by 300 armed policemen and that he had personally received a call from the Inspector General of Police Mohammed Abubakar Adamu to leave Edo immediately, it seemed like the lion had roared at last and the lizard would be served for breakfast. Any hope of a free and fair contest diminished.

    The body language of the Palace seemed neutral at first. But when Captain Hosa Okunbor, a businessman with very close links to the palace joined the fray and vowed to spend his last kobo to defeat Obaseki, it appeared his fate was sealed with a stamp from the Palace.


    On top of that, Obaseki looked like an underdog in the last televised debate; he seemed to have lost his mojo. He was also reported to have cancelled appearance at an Arise TV engagement at the last minute, stoking concerns that he may be moving his luggage to the departure lounge.

    So, what happened on Saturday? We were confronted with the final undeniable signs that the APC could be unraveling; that’s what happened. They had papered over the cracks and tried to mend them by posing with plastic smiles in group pictures or bandying empty metaphors from Animal Farm, but the festering rot from within could no longer be hidden. It was on open display even before Saturday.

    APC is sick from a disease that was largely self-inflicted. As a result of intra-party disputes in the primaries before the 2019 general elections, the party lost four states – Zamfara, Bauchi, Adamawa and Bayelsa; it lost Imo momentarily, and then snatched victory from the jaws of defeat in Kano.

    Oshiomhole’s style was blamed for APC’s poor performances. At a time when the party needed to rally to save its only outpost in the South South, the party came to Edo bitterly divided both by the removal of Oshiomhole as chairman and by the party’s refusal to give Obaseki a second-term ticket.

    The pro-Oshiomhole group, led by the party’s national leader, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, regarded Obaseki as an ingrate, an arrogant upstart and a danger to party supremacy. The pro-Obaseki group led by Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti, countered that Oshiomhole was a petty tyrant who ran the party like a boot camp. The group was deeply unhappy that after Oshiomhole promised to facilitate a second term ticket for Obaseki in exchange for a fresh lease on his chairmanship, he made a U-turn and broke his promise without qualms.

    Apart from Lagos and Imo APC states in the South, ranking party members from the South South abandoned Edo for Oshiomhole and Tinubu who arrived in Benin with daggers in their backs and sniper fire from angry avatars offended by Tinubu’s last-minute anti-Obaseki video.

    For the party, it was also about 2023. It was about who gets a big say in lining up the new executive at the party’s next national convention. Aggrieved party members couldn’t find a better opportunity to drive a bigger stake in the struggle for control than to let things fall apart in Edo and in doing so weaken any rivalry from contending forces, especially the core Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) wing of the party led by Tinubu.

    With the result of the Edo election out and a statement by APC caretaker chairman and Yobe State Governor Mai Mala Buni accepting the outcome, the fight for the soul of the APC moves to the next, dangerous level. It remains to be seen how the party will end 2021 intact.

    Yet, it would be unfair to suggest that PDP was just sitting on its hands, waiting for APC fruit pickers to shake the tree. Unlike in Bayelsa when turf rivalry almost cost PDP the state, the PDP rallied its entire regional troops, deploying resources in Edo that made APC look like chicken feed traders.

    After an initial false start, the PDP regained its footing and successfully framed the election as a contest between light and darkness, between narcissistic predators and freedom lovers, a narrative that would have stirred the soul of Oba Ovonramwen Nogbaisi.

    There’s another unlikely hero in Saturday’s contest – deputy governor, Philip Shuaibu. If he had played a different card, if he had ditched Obaseki at some point and switched sides, the outcome may have been different.

    At a time when scores of Obaseki aides and allies were jumping ship, APC would have been quite pleased to set Shuaibu up against the governor, maybe even impeach Obaseki before the election and offer his deputy the ticket. His steadfastness and constancy helped to pave the way for Obaseki’s return.

    Did the threat of a visa ban against instigators of electoral violence also play role? Likely. Who can or cannot travel to the US or the UK is often an election issue among Nigeria’s political elite whose appetite for foreign trips is legendary.

    After visa restrictions imposed by the US on unnamed persons involved in electoral violence in Kogi and Bayelsa states, and the threat of the UK to do the same in Edo and Ondo on the eve of elections, sponsors of and profiteers from chaos would have asked themselves if it was worth it, this time.

    Yet, the ultimate credit for what happened must go to the estimated 1.7million voters who despite serious pre-election concerns about violence, cast their ballots with only scanty reports of clashes. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) also held the line firmly, especially by uploading results on an open platform at polling centres, an innovation that significantly eliminated interference and grounds for complaint.

    Of course, we still have grounds to cover, especially in curtailing the transactional relationship between politicians and voters, but all said and done, Edo was a step forward.

    Contestants would be more confident of a level playing field, whether or not their rivals have the backing of Aso Rock or the Government House. And in future, the lion that wishes to swallow the lizard whole, would be careful to ensure that the prey is indeed a lizard and not a porcupine.

    Ishiekwene is the MD/Editor-In-Chief of The Interview

     

  • Edo Poll: Why I’m yet to concede defeat – Ize-Iyamu

    Edo Poll: Why I’m yet to concede defeat – Ize-Iyamu

    Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the recently conducted Edo governorship election, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu has said he was yet to concede defeat to incumbent governor and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Godwin Obaseki.

    TheNewsGuru.com, TNG reports that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had on Sunday declared Obaseki the winner of the September 19 poll and had since presented him (Obaseki) and his deputy, Philip Shaibu with Certificates of Return.

    However, despite the APC’s earlier statement conceding defeat and congratulating Obaseki and the PDP, the party’s candidate, Ize-Iyamu was yet to do so.

    Meanwhile, Ize-Iyamu has debunked speculations that he was under pressure from party leaders to accept defeat.

    Ize-Iyamu said this in response to media reports on the subject, even as he urged the media to desist from speculative reporting.

    He stated this in a statement signed by his Director of Communication and Media, Mr. John Mayaki, in Benin, on Thursday.

    He said, “I was shocked this morning when I saw reports saying I begged Obaseki to return to APC after the election.

    “While immediately responding to it, another one emerged. I will restate that I never begged him to return after the election. I deliberately did not reply when I saw all that rumour on the social media with people tagging me in them.

    “Now, I saw another report in the media stating that APC leaders are mounting pressure on me to accept defeat. In all fairness to the national leadership of my party, they never mounted any pressure on me.

    “So, I wonder where their source got information from. The public repossess a lot of trust in the media for authentic information. What happens when this trust is betrayed?”

    Ize-Iyamu also reiterated his earlier position that he had yet to make up his mind on his next step.

    According to him, “I already tweeted that I am studying the result and consulting widely on my next line of action. Speculative reporting must be condemned.

    “When I make up my mind, I will let my supporters know. For now, patience is what I implore, not violence; not anger will help us now. Dignity will manifest in how we bounce back from this minor setback.”

  • Ize-Iyamu reacts to reports of begging Obaseki to return to APC

    Ize-Iyamu reacts to reports of begging Obaseki to return to APC

    Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu has denied media reports that he begged Governor Godwin Obaseki to return to the party after suffering defeat in the Saturday poll.

    Ize-Iyamu, through his campaign organisation, in a statement by the Director of Communication and Media, Prince John Mayaki, called on the traditional media to always perform due diligence in reporting events arising from Edo, stressing that unprofessionalism would render them as tools for the PDP.

    He declared that it was not true that he pleaded with Obaseki to return to the APC at a news conference on Wednesday in Abuja, while insisting that nothing of such happened.

    The former Secretary to the Edo State Government (SSG) said: “Many media houses have once again lent themselves to the fabrications of Obaseki and the PDP, as they did throughout the campaigns and the election.

    “We warned many times the media should beware of fabrications from Obaseki and the PDP’s camp, but they did not listen.

    “That is why they have reported that the election was free and fair, and that is why they have said our candidate pleaded with Obaseki to come back to APC.

    ‘’The video in reference is from three months ago, not after the election but doctored by Obaseki’s media handlers to seek undue legitimacy.

    “We wonder if the media were being sponsored by Obaseki and the PDP, as it seems implausible that they actually believed the story.

    “This is even more so, when reporters in Benin City would report Pastor Ize-Iyamu, who is currently in Abuja, where the various media organisations are also domiciled, this is to tell you the suspicion inherent in the viral video.

    “Pastor Ize-Iyamu was reported in the stories as speaking from Abuja but it was the Benin reporters that covered the story. Were the reporters transported to Abuja?

    “Do these media agencies actually believe the stories they carry? Obaseki and the PDP have a way of leaking false news to the media. The media have to be sensitive and professional in receiving these news.”

    The governorship candidate of APC also warned of a fake twitter account purportedly belonging to him, which had been disseminating false information, while admonishing the media to avoid it like a plague and verify all their information before passing it on.

    He said: “I only wish most of the media had been more professional during the election in Edo State but they were not. What is done is done.

    “They (the media) pretended not to know how violent and anti-democratic the election was in many parts of Edo State, including Egor Local Government Area in Benin City.

    “So, they (the media) reported that the election was free and fair. Going forward, let them (the media) verify all news before passing it on. It is the basic ethic of the profession.”

  • VIDEO: Oshiomhole breaks silence after Ize-Iyamu, APC’s loss in Edo

    VIDEO: Oshiomhole breaks silence after Ize-Iyamu, APC’s loss in Edo

    Former national chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, on Wednesday spoke for the first time after his party and candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu lost the Edo governorship election to the incumbent governor and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Godwin Obaseki.

    The former governor in a video on Wednesday night said life was not all about winning.

    TheNewsGuru.com, TNG reports that labour leader has not been seen or heard since the Saturday election that returned Obaseki, his former political son turned rival as governor of Edo State.

    In a video recorded in his personal gymnasium, Oshiomhole sounded philosophical as he posited that life was about winning some and losing some.

    “In life, you work hard and leave God for the outcome. You do your best and trust God to bless your efforts. I feel good, I feel strong, thank God. In life, you win some and you lose some but life goes on,” he said

    Oshiomhole added that he was aware that “a lot of people will be thinking now, ‘oh, Comrade must be down’. But I’m not down. When God says you are not down, you are not down and I am not down.”

  • Edo Poll: Clark congratulates Obaseki, Shaibu commends Buhari for non-interference

    Elders statesman Chief Edwin Clark has congratulated Governor Godwin Obaseki and his deputy, Philip Shaibu on their reelection as governor and deputy governor of Edo State respectively.

    The South South region leader also commended President Muhammadu Buhari for keeping to his promise of supervising a free and fair election in Edo.

    Clark said this a statement he personally signed and released on the just concluded election.

    Read full statement below:

    Edo Elections: Chief Clark commends President Muhammadu Buhari, congratulates Governor Obaseki, his Deputy, Philip Shuabu, PDP, and the good people of Edo State.

    A Press Statement

    The Edo State Governorship election held on Saturday, 19th September, 2020, has come and gone. But it is worthy of note to observe that it is a nascent sign of credible electoral processes in our country if the positive things that happened are sustained and improved upon. It is for this reason that I want to highly commend His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, for his roles and admonitions he gave to the politicians, the electoral umpire and the security agencies. that for once, under his watch, INEC was able to conduct a free, fair and credible election, and the security agencies conducted themselves professionally, before, during and after the election. This is a great departure from what obtained in previous elections in the country, like the 2018 Osun election, and last year’s Rivers, Kogi and Bayelsa Governorship elections, just to mention a few.

    President Muhammad Buhari, deserves to be commended and appreciated by all well-meaning Nigerians for his new disposition and commitment to free, fair and credible elections in the country. It will recalled that two days before the Edo Governorship election, Mr. President issued a strong statement in which he assured the nation of this commitment, and requested political parties, candidates, and security agents to behave responsibly.

    Those who think they can hide under the cloak of President Buhari to commit electoral offences should have a rethink. Anybody who wants to contest election should be ready to do so on their own merit, and not to hide under the cloak of Mr. President, using the security forces to undermine the electoral process.

    In the past, we had condemned Mr. President for being behind the audacious abuses of the electoral system, with the deployment of the so-called “federal might” to harass, intimidate, and deny citizens of their democratic rights.

    I am particularly delighted as the outcome of the election clearly demonstrates that political power truly belongs to the people and we can get it right if the authorities decide not to compromise and truncate the will and desire of the people.

    As the leader of the South-South Zone, former Commissioner for Education, and later Finance and Establishment in Brig. Samuel Ogbemudia’s Government in the old Mid-West State, I know Edo people, and therefore, I commend the people of Edo State for living up to expectations.

    Recall that when Governor Godwin Obaseki was disqualified from participating in the Edo APC Governorship Primary in June this year, I issued a statement to strongly condemn the action, and the failure of the APC national leadership to intervene in the crisis at the time. I further urged the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), to take advantage of the unfortunate situation and adopt the Governor as their candidate. I also advised Governor Obaseki and his supporters, to be courageous, and test his popularity, with the people of Edo State, and citizens resident in Edo State. And that the people of Edo State, and Providence, should decide his fate, not “one man”, or a group of politicians. I am glad they did.
    I thank Governor Obaseki and the PDP for taking my advice, his Deputy, Philip Shuabu for his resilience, being a true ally, and for his doggedness. Congratulations to you all. The good people of Edo State, well done!

    As leader of the South-South I was indeed very apprehensive. Therefore, I thank the Almighty God that it all ended peacefully, however, not without a few casualties. It is on this note that I wish to commensurate with families, friends and loved ones of the person who was reported killed. I hope investigations will be carried out and the perpetrators brought to book. I also pray for those who sustained varying degrees of injuries, to recuperate fast. I must not also forget to commend the Returning Officer of the Elections, Prof. Akpofure Rim-Rukeh and his team for a job well done.

    I am happy that Mr. President has even gone further to congratulate Governor Godwin Obaseki on his winning the Governorship elections. It is heartwarming that the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the national level, through its Caretaker Committee Chairman, His Excellency Mai Mala Buni, the Executive Governor of Yobe State, has equally congratulated Governor Obaseki, after a visit to Mr. President accompanied by Governor Abdullahi Ganduji of Kano State, who was the Chairman of the Edo State APC Governorship National Campaign Council.

    I appeal to the leadership of APC in Edo State and all stakeholders to accept the outcome of the election as the decision of the people of Edo State, and join hands with the Governor, in the overall interest of the State. While I call on Governor Obaseki to let bygones be bygones, and extend an olive branch to all.

    We hope that Mr. President will issue similar directives to the security agencies, to INEC, and to everybody, on the forthcoming governorship election in Ondo State, and the Senatorial by-elections coming up on the 31st of October, 2020.

    Finally, I wish to also commend the United States of America (USA), the United Kingdom (UK) and the European Union (EU) on their determination to strengthen democracy in Nigeria through their various actions, leading to the Edo governorship election.

    Chief (Dr.) Edwin K. Clark, OFR, CON.
    Former Minister of Information
    Senator of the 2nd Republic
    Leader, South-South

    21st September 2020

  • US Govt reacts to Obaseki’s reelection as Edo governor

    US Govt reacts to Obaseki’s reelection as Edo governor

    After the peaceful conduct of the gubernatorial election in Edo State, the United States (US) Mission in Nigeria has congratulated stakeholders involved in the election.

    The mission particularly lauded the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and security operatives for the peaceful conduct of the election.

    They equally acknowledged the incumbent governor, Godwin Obaseki, and Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu for embracing peace.

    Leaving no stone unturned, the US expressed concerns over reports of violence while the election was ongoing. They also laid bare reports of vote-buying and intimidation of both voters and civil society domestic observers.

    However, they said they would keep encouraging key stakeholders, including the INEC, Political Parties, and security bodies to keep improving the electoral process, especially in the Ondo election just around the corner.

  • Tinubu, Oshiomhole will destroy Nigeria’s democracy if unstopped- Obaseki

    Tinubu, Oshiomhole will destroy Nigeria’s democracy if unstopped- Obaseki

    Governor Godwin Obaseki yesterday labeled the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Bola Tinubu, and the party’s former National Chairman, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole, as a threat to Nigeria in the polity.

    He warned that if their activities remain unchecked, they would become a danger to the development of democracy in the country.

    ”For us the challenge with people like Oshiomhole, Tinubu and others is that they pose a great danger to our democracy; they are extra-constitutional players,” he told ARISE NEWS Channel,

    He added, “They constitute themselves into what they say they are; they try to overlap themselves over people who have constitutional authority and if we allow them to continue, they will destroy our democracy.”

    However, later in the day when he and his deputy, Hon. Philip Shaibu, went to pick up their certificates of return, he mellowed down, offering an olive branch to Oshiomhole and his main challenger in the contest, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu.

    “I’m using this opportunity to extend the hand of fellowship to my brother, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, and his other colleagues in the All Progressives Congress to join us and work with us so that we can move Edo forward.

    “On a specific note, I want to use this occasion to call on the former chairman of the APC, [Mr.] Adams Oshiomhole, that the fight is over and he should come and join in building the house, where he was part of laying the foundation,” he said in a speech after collecting his certificate from the Independent National Electoral Commission National Commissioner, Mrs. May Agbamuche-Mbu.

    Obaseki had told ARISE NEWS Channel that while he was ready to embrace Ize-Iyamu, he would be circumspect about Oshiomhole.

    He said Oshiomhole, Tinubu, and others are threats to democracy in Nigeria, adding that they cannot sit in the comfort of their houses and determine who becomes what and who gets into what office.

    He explained: ”Certainly, but for someone like comrade Adams Oshiomhole, I wouldn’t want to say much here but clearly when you find that you’ve been deceived, we don’t share the same values or trust at all, it is his responsibility to build back those trust and to build back trust. As we say in Edo State everybody should now maintain their lane, as whatever he is and I will maintain mine.

    ”For us the challenge with people like Oshiomhole, Tinubu and others is that they pose a great danger to our democracy; they are extra-constitutional players; they constituted themselves into what they say they are; they try to overlap themselves over people who have constitutional authority and if we allow them to continue, they will destroy our democracy. For me it’s straight forward, it’s not a personal issue but about their role in our democracy.”

    He explained further: ”You cannot have people who are guided by the constitution in office and people who don’t have such mandate or authority or any checks on their conduct come and say they want to control people who have been properly constituted in office.

    “Oshiomhole and Tinubu are non-constitutional actors. They cannot sit in the comfort of their house or wherever they are and determine who becomes what and who gets into what office. It’s very anti-democratic.”

    The governor vowed to fight Oshiomhole if he continues to create trouble in the state.

    Responding to a question on his threat during his re-election campaign to drive Oshiomhole out of Edo State if he was re-elected, the governor declared that he had no such intentions.

    He, however, added that if the former governor continues to be destructive, and create problems for the Edo people, then he will show no mercy, insisting that it is totally up to Oshiomhole to decide what to do.

    Speaking on Ize-Iyamu’s silence since his victory and if he will accept President Muhammadu Buhari’s advice on being magnanimous, Obaseki expressed his willingness to be magnanimous with Ize-Iyamu if he comes through.

    He said that he has no issues with Ize-Iyamu, adding that the problems are factors outside of him, which are the people who lured him into the governorship contest.

    According to him, ”This is not the first time I’m contesting with Pastor Ize-Iyamu; we have a family relationship; he is a pastor and I go to church. We cannot live a life of acrimony or hate; he played his politics on how he knows how to and I did mine. I will be magnanimous if he comes through; we will have the conversation; there’s enough room for us to have such a conversation. I don’t think the problem is Pastor Ize-Iyamu, I know him. I think the problems are factors outside of him – the people who lured him into the contest. I’m sure they are the same ones who are trying to fester the acrimony.

    ”So, between us, there are no issues. The day he calls or makes up his mind on what to do moving forward, I’m sure we will be able to have that conversation.

    But there are people who work with him that know what they have done and have been very vicious and evil. I will be surprised if they have the courage to even come up and seek reconciliation.”

    Asked if he will consider returning to APC, the governor said that will be immoral of him, hence he has no plans to return to his former party.

    His words: ”At this point in time I have been elected on a platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and I have made promises to the people of Edo State; It’s not about me, I won the election on the platform of PDP, it will be immoral and unfair of me to have any other consideration at this point about leaving the platform that gave me the mandate, and there must be morals in politics, and at this point in time, I don’t think it’s right to jettison the platform, particularly when I have no issues with the party.”

    When asked of his views about, his deputy governor, the Governor of River State, Chief Nyesom Wike, and others who stood by him, Obaseki said, ”My deputy governor and I share the same values, that’s why through thick and thin, he was there for me. For him it’s not about money, it’s about belief, truth, honesty, and human values. You don’t have to be a crook, a fox to be a politician. You can be a noble and straightforward person and still be a politician.

    ”On Wike, if he’s not convinced about a situation or an idea, there’s no way you can bully him about it, but once he’s convinced and believes in you, he will put everything into supporting what he believes in. He’s a very committed person, he’s committed to PDP and he’s also a very supportive and considerate person.

    He’s fearless if he believes in a cause he will fight for it, you can’t cower him. It’s not true that he didn’t support me. When I was first disqualified he was one of the first people, I went to in Port-Harcourt and he advised on what to do, all that time we were going back and forth, he was going to make sure that certain issues were cleared so that to avoid challenges in the future and I am glad he did.”