Members-elect of the Edo State House of Assembly has written to President Muhammadu Buhari to express their worries in the increasing crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.
Others copied in the letter are The Senate president, The speaker, House of Representatives, the governor’s forum, Speakers of State houses of Assembly, the National leader of the Party, Senator Ahmed Bola Tinubu, The National Chairmañn of our Party. Comrade Adams Aliu Oshiomhole and members of the National Working Committee, the Inspector general of police.
The lawmakers accused governor Godwin Obaseki of turning himself to Emperor in Edo State.
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“We want to draw the attention of our President, Muhammadu Buhari, the National leader of our Party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the National Working Committee of our Party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), Party leaders and members across the country and indeed all Nigerians to the continuous insults and threat to the life of our National Chairman, Comrade Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole and other party members in Edo state,” the statement reads.
On the 28th of January, Godwin Obaseki sent a strong warning to the National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole where he categorically authorized his members to deal with anyone who intends to cause a rift in the state party.
“We are warning the suspended National Chairman, if he continues with his activities in Edo State, I will show him I am the governor of Edo State. While he was the governor, he would not tolerate a fraction of the misdemeanour and misbehaviour he is undertaking today,” he said.
He added, “I have decided and declared that if Comrade Oshiomhole comes here to our state to say he wants to destruct the activities of the state or the party, we will deal with him the way we best know how to.”
The Governor and his former boss have been at loggerhead over what the latter called “disregard for party structure and leadership”.
Members of the Edo Peoples Movement have also accused the governor of desertion and disrespect, an agitation that has led to a full flown enmity and possible attacks.
On June 17, the governor inaugurated 9 members-elect out of the 24 at around 9.30 pm, other members argued that the inauguration was done in a commando-style which includes threats.
The following day, the members-elect alleged that they were attacked at the Golden Tulip hotel in Benin City by thugs allegedly led by the governor’s Chief Security Officer (CSO) during a press conference they call to address the inauguration a day before.
Recounting their grievances, the members-elect restated their displeasure as “Refusal of the governor to carry out the resolutions of the two chambers of the National Assembly and indeed all party leaders on reproclaiming and ensure fresh inauguration of the 7th Assembly by sponsoring court orders to achieve that.
“Series of attacks on members of our great party, the All Progressive Congress (APC) across the state on different occasions just because they bear opposing view from that of Governor Godwin Obaseki and the government of the day in Edo. The homes of most leaders of the APC in Edo State has been marked for demolition by governor Obaseki.
“Several petitions were written to the Inspector general of police from 18th June 2019 after the attack on us at Golden Tulip hotel in Benin City. But nobody has been held responsible for that attack yet.”
The aggrieved members claimed that the governor has recruited assassins to kill Oshiomhole in an attempt to secure his second term ticket.
“We want to believe that because the leaders of our Party across the country has been quiet to call governor Godwin Obaseki to order, he has been further emboldened to kill everybody due to his desperate ambition for a second term. He has recruited a killer squad in Edo State and their mandate is to kill Comrade Oshiomhole and other APC leaders. So he has continued to create a crisis and disrupt public peace. Recent amongst so many are;
Frustrated several reconciliation efforts by the National Working committee, the National Assembly, well meaning Edo sons and in fact, leaders of our great party.
2 Instituting several court cases against the party and the National Chairman in several courts around the country. Thereby, bringing our great party to disrepute.
Massive protest by thugs sponsored by the state government on 16th December, 2019 where cars were burnt and several persons injured just to stop a rally to receive decampees from other political parties to our great party, the All Progressive Congress (APC)
The questions are;
Is the National Chairman of our Party no longer from Edo state? Is our leaders going to keep Obaseki quiet until Oshiomhole is killed?
When did receiving decampees into our Party become disruption of activities of the state and party?
Is governor Godwin Obaseki bigger than the president of the country, Mohammadu Buhari, the National leader of the party, Senator. Bola Ahmed Tinubu , the National Chairman of our Party, Comrade Adams Aliu Oshiomhole and other members of the party across the country?
Is governor Godwin Obaseki not a state governor like Governor Ganduje of Kano state who addressed Comrade Adams Aliu Oshiomhole as his national chairman on 27th January, 2020 and so many other governors who submit themselves to the party supremacy ?
If the answer to the above questions is YES!
Then we demand that;
President Mahammadu Buhari, the National leader of the party, Senator Ahmed Bola Tinubu, the governors of the APC governed states to please call governor Godwin Obaseki to order as he is known to have set several precedents in our Party that may be detrimental to our great party in the nearest future.
The Inspector general of police should wake up to his responsibility of protecting lives, properties and maintaining public peace in Edo state by standing against infringement on rights of Edo people. We beg him to advise the Edo CP to be professional in his duty.
We cannot allow Obaseki to destroy Edo APC because he does not know the sacrifices made by Oshiomhole to keep that party in Edo State. It clear that Obaseki is heading to another party flowing from the endorsement he has received from PDP leaders including the governor of Ebonyi State.
But we are not worried because this same Governor lost his polling unit, ward, LGA and senatorial district to PDP during the Presidential election so he has no political clout. He went to play golf shortly after casting his vote not bothering whether President Buhari won the election or not. But the National Chairman of APC won his entire area for President Buhari. So we appeal to our leaders to call Obaseki to order, he has no monopoly of violence. And if any of our people are killed, we will hold Obaseki and the IGP accountable. Edo people will never forgive them. This is the time to act.
“A stitch in time saves nine”, “The best time to have planted a tree was 20 years ago, the second best time is ‘NOW’!”
Thank you and God bless you.
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