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Tag: Oshiomhole

  • 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

     

  • Humiliation of Adams Oshiomhole: A disaster foretold – Dele Sobowale

    Humiliation of Adams Oshiomhole: A disaster foretold – Dele Sobowale

    “The climax of every tragedy lies in the deafness of its heroes.”

    Albert Camus, 1903-1960. VANGUARD BOOK OF QUOTATIONS, VBQ p 90.

    The Edo state election on Saturday, September 19, 2020 ended predictably. Comrade Adams Oshiomole, ex-NLC President, ex-Governor of Edo state and ex-National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, suffered a self-inflicted and unnecessary political humiliation which might be impossible to reverse – given his character, his age and the situation within the APC. The election was in reality not a contest between Pastor Ize-Iyamu and incumbent Governor Godwin Obaseki as such. Eventually, it became a referendum on whether or not the good people of Edo State wanted Oshiomole to continue to influence or control the activities of government.

    “The battle that counts is the last.”

    Oshiomole had fought several battles; and he had won almost all of them. He therefore had every reason to consider himself a winner. Unfortunately, complacency, that eternal destroyer of Goliaths, quickly set in when he achieved his greatest triumph when he was elected Chairman of the APC. In that role he could influence the destinies of politicians and others all over Nigeria. He was consulted by the President and other transient holders of great power. Little did he realise that great power is always a two-way sword. It cuts the adversaries as well as the wielder with equal ferocity when deployed without discretion.

    In a way, Adams was a victim of his own legacy. He had spent nearly the last ten years fighting political “godfatherism” in the state. He had taken on the late Chief Anenih, the powerful Chief Igbiniedon, Chief Tom Ikimi etc and had won a lot of the battles and there was no reason to doubt that he would succeed in the quest to demolish a governor he had personally installed four years earlier.

    “Beware! When Fortune would elect to trick a man, she plots his overthrow/By such a means as he would least expect.” Geoffrey Chaucer, 1342-1400. VBQ p 64.

    When Oshiomole, as APC Chairman, rose against Governor Obaseki, he expected total support from the state’s APC chieftains. The first signs that victory was not assured came when, in an unprecedented counter offensive, the National Chairman was suspended by the APC in his own ward. This paved the way for Oshiomole’s suspension as National Chairman according to the party’s constitution. That deft strategic move handed the party’s National Headquarters to factions within the party which had for long sought to remove Oshiomole. Like a wounded lion, Adams fought back to regain his position. He secured a court ruling which restored his power as APC National Chairman and forced the Governor to decamp to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP – in full confidence that he could use his power to secure victory for his second imposed candidate.

    “A man cannot be too careful in his choice of enemies.” Oscar Wilde, 1856-1900.

    By going outside the party to recruit Ize-Iyamu from the PDP, Oshiomole committed another unforced blunder. APC members who supported Oshiomole expecting to benefit from Obaseki’s ouster either decamped with Obaseki to PDP or worked against the APC – which had become synonymous with Adams Oshiomole. Moreover, Oshiomole in 2016 had described Ize-Iyamu as a person totally unfit for public office. His unsuccessful efforts to eat his words contributed largely to APC’s defeat at the polls. Only Oshiomole could have been sufficiently self-delusive to assume that he could deodorise human waste and get the people of Edo State to swallow it as the most nutritious food available.

    “Character is destiny.”

    By stature and nature, Oshimole is cast in the same mould as Alexander, Napoleon, Hitler and Governor El-Rufai of Kaduna state who joined his losing campaign team – extremely short men wielding great powers making even heavyweights shake in their boots. For them sharing power is out of the question. Maximum leaders, they brook no opposition or suggestions once they have made up their minds on any issue.

    “In every community, there is a class of people profoundly dangerous to the rest. I don’t mean the criminals. For them we have punitive sanctions. I mean the leaders. Invariably, the most dangerous people seek power.

    Saul Bellow, VBQ p 124.

    Leadership, for Oshiomole, was personal; it is for self-aggrandisement. It was a mere coincidence if it was in tandem with what his followers wanted. The working class, on whose shoulders and sometimes broken heads he climbed to great power, were jettisoned in 2012 when as Governor of Edo state he endorsed the January 1, 2012 fuel price increase by Jonathan which raised pump price from N97 to N141. It was a most unkind betrayal of the masses.

    Failure to distinguish between uses and abuses of power and preference for brute force over persuasion was another characteristic of his. He never forgets nor forgives even the slightest disagreement. He kept on forgetting that “Brute force without wisdom falls under its own weight” (Horace, 65-8BC, VBQ p 63).

    The latest fall might be his worst self-inflicted injury.

    “Truth is constant.” Most long-enduring leaders avoid being caught uttering barefaced falsehood. Oshiomole deploys truths, half-truths and absolute untruths in all his battles. Consequently, most of his listeners tend to swallow his words with many spoonfuls of salt. You just never know whether to accept his statements at face value or not. That perception was more fatal to his image and reputation than he realises. A person known or perceived to be capable of doing anything to win a contest generally receives no benefit of doubt when accused of wrong-doing. Many Edo state voters, when unsure of the person to trust, simply voted against Oshiomole. One traditional ruler and friend, who had felt the sting of ex-Governor Oshiomole’s tongue, when he was the state’s number one citizen, told me his dilemma “when the man walked into my palace with Ize-Iyamu asking for prayers and support. I felt sorry for the candidate because I know that if Ize-Iyamu should win the man pretending to be humble will show his true colours again. I uttered some non-committal prayers with my mouth; then retired to the inner sanctuary and prayed to God that it will not happen.”

    A TRAGEDY FORETOLD

    “To know that which before us lies in daily life is the prime wisdom..”

    John Milton, VBQ p 275.

    Readers will excuse me for pointing to another prediction made on the pages of VANGUARD which had turned out to be true. Indeed, I challenge any “man-of-God” to publish specific prophecies he has made about individuals, the economy etc which had turned out to be as prophetic as my series – VISION 20:2020, famine, recession etc. And now we have Oshiomole’s tragedy foretold in unmistakable words in March 2019. Please read on.

    “ ADAMS OSHIOMHOLE: ELEPHANT IN APC’S CHINA SHOP

    “A manager may have more influence and control over subordinates if they are competing with each other than if they are united against him.”

    VANGURAD BOOK OF QUOTATIONS, VBQ, p 152.

    Adams Oshiomhole, the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, is not my friend, neither is he my enemy. But, I always feel sorry for any individual, who through years of brutal struggle, sweat and tears finally reaches the top where fame and fortune await him but loses a lot on account of a basic character flaw. Oshiomhole might not realise it, he is an endangered person in Nigerian politics generally. Like a man who had strapped on a belt of explosives in a crowded room, he now constitutes a safety risk to himself and others around him. There is probably no other political figure who daily multiplies the number of his political adversaries as the Chair of the APC. He seems to have forgotten the warning made repeatedly on this page that in the political game : “A man alone hasn’t got a chance” (Ernest Hemingway, 1898-1961). Increasingly, the man who should be the second most important rallying point of the APC, after Buhari, has now acquired the image of its uncontrollable destroyer sowing discord everywhere, attracting maledictions from members who should be subservient and uniting the rank and file against himself. He most probably will not last until 2023 unless there is a revolutionary change in his approach to leadership.

    That was not all, Oshiomole was warned against confrontation with Obaseki.

    “Oshiomhole Creating More Problems For APC.”

    DAILY INDEPENDENT, October 28, 2019.

    One of the leaders of the APC as well as one of its most powerful voices made that assertion. He is from the Niger Delta. Everybody is now aware of the “fight to finish” raging in Edo state between Adams on one side and the Governor as well as the State Commissioner of Police on the other side. Since politics is war by other means, Nigerian historical precedents would suggest that the Abuja-based Chairman will be annihilated by his antagonists. Of all people, he should know that the Nigerian State Governor is one of the worst dictators human beings had ever created. Enveloped in legal immunity while in office, he is lord of the estate; he can do virtually anything including acquiring the land on which your palatial mansion is situated – “for public purposes”, of course.. By comparison, the Chair in Abuja would need the full support of the President as well as members of APC executive committee, to move against the Governor. Even with that help, victory remains un-assured. The question is: will Buhari support Adams? A corollary question is: why would the President do that?

    “The truth shall make you free; but, first it shall make you miserable.”

    Incredibly, it doesn’t require rocket-science intelligence to know what Aso Rock will do. Buhari will stay neutral. That is the bad news for Adams. The worse news is the reason why the President will not bother to save the Chair.

    Buhari will stay out of it because, with the second term secured, he no longer needs the Chairman.

    Like the rest of Nigeria, the APC party headquarters is divided over their leader. Some are so angry, they would throw him out today – if they have their way. They might soon have their way.

    That brings us to the abiding issue of leadership and Oshiomhole’s demonstration of it as the Chairman of the ruling party. The man is in a position to create havoc in the polity if his excesses are not curbed. The image of the elephant is quite apt in this regard. One loose cannon in high office can do more damage than ten thousand rioters taking to the streets. Henceforth, the APC has a monumental task on its hands. They have a duty to save themselves and to save Nigeria as well by doing something about their Chairman. What they do and how they do it is their business.” That was in March last year. Here we are!!!!

    Unfortunately, Oshiomole brought woe to another APC leader. If Asiwaju Bola Tinubu had asked me, I would have warned him against spearheading the campaign in Edo. The result had diminished him. Pity.

  • 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.”

  • 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.”

  • Fight is over now, Obaseki tells Oshiomhole, Ize-Iyamu

    Fight is over now, Obaseki tells Oshiomhole, Ize-Iyamu

    The reelected governor of Edo state, Godwin Obaseki, on Tuesday extended a hand of fellowship to the All Progressive Congress (APC) and its former chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.

    Obaseki said this after receiving his Certificate of Return from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) with his Deputy, Phillip Shaibu.

    Obaseki said; “on a special note, I want to use this occasion to call on the former chairman of the APC, Comrade Adams Aliu Oshiomhole, that, the fight is over.”

    He specifically asked Oshiomhole to “come and join in building the house, where he was part of laying the foundation.”

    According to him; “We have no malice. The only thing we disagree on is on the approach in moving Edo forward.”

    Similarly, Obaseki also called on his strongest opponent in the election, Pastor Ize-Iyamu of the APC, saying; “we are one family in the pursuit to provide services and public vote for our citizens.”

    He added, “I want to put it on record that the election of September 19, 2020 has been adjudged as one of the best conducted election in terms of it being free and fair.

    “Our citizens have decided that for now, they trust us more with the affair of leadership. It does not mean that they did not have a role to play. It does not mean that they are not part of a family.

    “So I am using this opportunity to extend a hand of fellowship to my brother, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu and his other colleagues in the APC to join us and work with us so that we can move Edo State forward.”

  • How Oshiomhole’s sheer administrative incompetence, gross leadership malady led to our loss in Edo – APC chieftain

    How Oshiomhole’s sheer administrative incompetence, gross leadership malady led to our loss in Edo – APC chieftain

    …begs Obaseki to forgive Oshiomhole and return to APC

    …Urges Ize-Iyamu to Demand Refund of Campaign Expenses from Oshiomhole

    The loss of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the just-concluded governorship election in Edo State has continued to generate reactions.

    A chieftain of the ruling party at the central government, Mr Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, blamed a former national chairman of the APC, Mr Adams Oshiomhole, for the woeful performance at the poll.

    Candidate of the PDP, Governor Godwin Obaseki, was declared as winner of the exercise after polling 307,955 votes to defeat his APC opponent, Mr Osagie Ize-Iyamu, who raked 223,619 votes.

    Mr Obaseki became Governor of the state in 2016 under the APC platform but was denied ticket of the party in 2020 after a misunderstanding with his predecessor, Mr Oshiomhole. This forced him to approach the PDP for a ticket to seek a second term in office.

    Reacting to the APC loss at the poll held over the weekend, Mr Eze said the leadership style of the former labour leader cost the party the opportunity to retain Edo State.

    He said it was unfortunate that Edo State has been added to the league of states like Zamafara, Rivers, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Sokoto, Adamawa, and Oyo States where “sheer administrative incompetence and gross leadership malady occasioned by the self-styled and kooky steering model of Adams Oshiomole scuttled the electoral chances of the APC and deprived the majority from having their way.”

    According to him, the outcome of the Edo gubernatorial election confirmed that “Oshiomhole’s membership of the APC is a curse which has brought brutal misfortune and severe affliction on the party.”

    He said the gains and achievements recorded by the party under the “sterling leadership of Mr John Odigie-Oyegun as national chairman have been swept away by the dangerous flood of an unending catastrophe which has overwhelmed the party as a result of Oshiomhole’s disastrous and poor approach to leadership and party politics, stressing that the former labour leader must formally apologise to President Mohammadu Buhari and members of the APC for the serial embarrassments and heavy damages occasioned by his hinky and very quirky carriage.”

    While congratulating Mr Obaseki for striving to extinguish godfatherism in Edo State, he urged the Governor to “forgive Oshiomhole and all those who helped him cause havoc in the APC,” asking him to “begin the process of taking back his position in the progressives family which he described as his natural habitat considering his numerous sacrifices and contributions in the formation of the party, assuring that his place in the APC is still very much reserved and intact.”

    Also, the APC stalwart counselled Mr Ize-Iyamu to prevail on Mr Oshiomhole to offset all his electoral expenses, emphasising that it was the former Governor’s damaging campaign against him as well as his poor leadership mannerisms that caused him and the APC the election.

    He commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the security agencies for displaying a high degree of competence and professionalism which translated into a peaceful and very successful electoral outing.

    Mr Eze called on Nigerians to commend President Muhammadu Buhari for allowing a transparent process, describing him as a true statesman and democrat, saying the President “equalled the democratic feat of Dr Goodluck Jonathan, who allowed the votes of Edo people to count in 2012 when Adams Oshiomhole was reelected as Edo Governor against all odds.”

  • #EdoDecides2020: Melaye releases special song for Oshiomhole, APC after Obaseki’s victory [VIDEO]

    #EdoDecides2020: Melaye releases special song for Oshiomhole, APC after Obaseki’s victory [VIDEO]

    Former Kogi West Senator, Dino Melaye has released a video ridiculing the former chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole over the loss of the just concluded Edo State governorship to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    Recall that Governor Godwin Obaseki fell out with his predecessor, Oshiomhole who was instrumental to his ascending the governorship seat in 2016 on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) against the then PDP candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu.

    However, in the just concluded election, Oshiomhole’s annointed, Ize-Iyamu who was the APC candidate, lost to Obaseki of the PDP.

    In a viral video, Melaye ridiculed Oshiomhole, by downgrading his nickname.

    He said Oshiomhole should no longer be called ‘Oshio Baba’, but ‘Oshio Pikin’, henceforth.

    Melaye recorded the video in Benin shortly after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) affirmed and declared Obaseki as winner of the 2020 Edo governorship poll.

    Watch video below:

  • Edo poll: Top political losers, winners of the day

    Edo poll: Top political losers, winners of the day

    Though the race for who becomes the governor of Edo State has been concluded with the incumbent, Godwin Obaseki securing convincing votes to defeat his counterpart, Ize-Iyamu.

    Obaseki polled a total of 307,955 votes to defeat Ize-Iyamu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who got 223,619 votes.

    Politics being a game of numbers, permutations, actions and reactions have dealt a great blow on some political figures while elevating the stature of others at the same time.

    To capture the political narratives surrounding the just concluded Edo governorship election, TheNewsGuru (TNG) has compiled the biggest political losers and winners…

    THE LOSERS

    1. Ize-Iyamu:: Described as the major pawn of other political giants in All Progressives Congress (APC), Ize-Iyamu who is the governorship flagbearer of the APC is one of the politicians that is publicly hit by the blows of loss in the just concluded election in Edo State.


    2. Adams Oshiomhole:     As far as Edo politics is concerned, Oshiomhole is the biggest political loser of the day. Apart from being forced out of office as the Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), the second opportunity for Oshio-Baba as his fondly called by his supporters is to save his face, by ensuring his political sweetheart turned rival, Godwin Obaseki doesn’t get a second term in office. Unfortunately, Obaseki won.

    This new feat will be a big game-changer that will set the trajectory of how politics is played in Edo. In this new order, Oshiomhole might only be left with the option to observe politics from the backseats. Oshiomhole’s fall from a one-time powerful controller of politics at the national level to becoming a politically irrelevant figure is a shocking turnaround.

    3. Bola Tinubu

    Former Governor of Lagos State and national leader of All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu is the mega loser of the day. It is no longer a secret that Tinubu is plotting a huge political relevance ahead of his 2023 presidential bid. As a supposed champion of politics in South West, Lagos to be specific, Tinubu’s major move is to awaken allies in other regions in Nigeria, hence his hobnobbing with Oshiomhole of Edo (South-South).

    Now that APC has lost Edo to PDP, Tinubu has been sent back to his drawing boards to restrategise for a task and political ambition appearing more mountainous than ever.

    Recall Tinubu wanted Edo badly, that he posted a live video where he condemned PDP’s Obaseki and urged Edo people to reject him on the day of the election, the reverse seems to be the case here.

    4. APC

    Having lost the Edo governorship election, APC is now officially out of the South-South region, and with only one presence in Southeast (Imo State), one can say the party is losing its national grip and outlook.

    Winners:

    1. Godwin Obaseki:

    Godwin Obaseki is the man to celebrate for his courage and political sagacity amid the stormy journey that got him reelected as the governor of Edo State. The feud between Obaseki and his erstwhile master, Oshiomhole was so fierce he (Obaseki) was disqualified from the APC governorship primary for alleged inconsistencies in his academic credentials, a plot scripted by Mr Oshiomhole.

    Ultimately, Mr Obaseki defected to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), where he renewed his mandate and he won his reelection bid while stripping Oshiomhole of political relevance.

    In the span of the crisis between the duo, and by extension within the APC, there were intrigues, litigations, threats, among others smaller battles that this new success will erase the dirty linen for Obaseki but vanquished Oshiomhole has no choice but to wear his torn garments without repairs.

    2. Abubakar Atiku:

    For a heavyweight politician like Abubakar Atiku, the emergence of Godwin Obaseki as a second-time governor of Edo State tells more about 2023 than the control of the state.

    Atiku who is one of the frontline candidates who is positioning himself to rule Nigeria come 2023 did not only facilitated Obaseki’s move to the PDP but also did all to ensure the victory that is being celebrated today. Recall, the former vice president activated about 150 independent support groups in Edo in support of PDP’s flag bearer in the election.

    This is definitely a big win for Atiku.


    3. PDP:

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has consolidated its structure in South-South region with Obaseki ceding victory to his new party at the detriment of his estranged political family, APC.

    4. Electorate: Despite the federal might exerted by the Nigerian government, Edo people through their resilient support for Obaseki has shown that power really belongs to the voting class. Obaseki’s victory no doubt strengthens Nigeria’s democratic destination at a time the electorate are losing hope in democratic tenets.

  • #EdoDecides2020: INEC is failing us, card readers not working, Oshiomhole complains bitterly

    #EdoDecides2020: INEC is failing us, card readers not working, Oshiomhole complains bitterly

    Immediate past Governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole, has lamented that card readers are not working at some polling units in Saturday’s Edo governorship election.

    He said this after casting his vote at polling unit 01, Ward 10 in Uzairue northeast, Etsako West Local Government Area.

    The former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, however, warned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not to compromise.

    Addressing journalists, he said, “Since 1999, this is the highest turnout that I have seen. Elderly women and men turned out impressively.

    “The turnout showed that people have shown that they are ready for democracy. My only disappointment so far is that the machine is not working.

    “The INEC officials have reported but they have not brought a new machine.

    “This exercise is supposed to have a closing time. If they are doing this in my ward, it means that somebody wants to remove the number of voters here. But I have told them (voters) to stay here, they have a right to vote.

    “Nobody should come here and be unable to vote because of INEC’s failure.

    “I cannot believe that this is an ordinary error because before bringing the machine here, you should have tested it. I pray that INEC should be able to regularise them (the machines).”

  • #EdoDecides2020: Oshiomhole votes, gives process pass mark [Photos]

    #EdoDecides2020: Oshiomhole votes, gives process pass mark [Photos]

    Former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress has cast his vote at ward 10 polling unit 001 in Etsako West Local government.

    The former national chairman gave the whole voting process a pass mark but complained about a faulty card reader that appears to be slowing down the process at his polling unit.