Aftermath of disqualification: Edo gov, deputy dump APC

…I’ll pursue my second-term bid on another platform – Obaseki

…We’re not aware of Obaseki, Shaibu defection, says APC

...APC will go to Court if PDP fields Obaseki, says Oshiomhole

Following the disqualification of Governor Godwin Obaseki as a candidate for the All Progresssive Congress governorship primary election by the National Working Committee of the party, Governor Godwin Obaseki and his deputy, Comrade Philip Shaibu, on Tuesday, resigned their membership of the APC.

Announcing his resignation at the Presidential Villa after a meeting with the Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, Governor Obaseki disclosed that he will pursue his aspiration for a second term in office on another platform.

The embattled governor, who also debunked allegations that his credentials were not original, however, declined to disclose the name of the platform he would be contesting the election on.

His announcement comes four days after he was screened out and declared unfit to participate in the APC primary election ahead of the September 19 governorship poll in Edo State.

While fielding questions from journalists, Obaseki said: ”You remember in my last tweet, I said that I’ll make a decision, after my disqualification was announced by APC, that I’ll make a decision after I’ve consulted with the leadership and my supporters in Edo State and also having informed the president.

”I am just here today (Tuesday) to inform you that I have now decided, formally, to resign my membership of the All Progressives Congress. Having done that, I will now announce in the next few days my specific line of action and what platform I will be contesting the governorship election on’’.

On the alleged inconsistencies in his credentials which was one of the reasons for his disqualification, Obaseki said: “Someone who hasn’t gone to school, who doesn’t have a certificate himself, will not know and understand what inconsistencies in certificates are, that’s the starting point.

“What is the inconsistency? There is no inconsistency in my certificates. The issue was in 2016, when I contested for the gubernatorial election, I could not find the originals of my certificates because I had not required them for more than two decades.

“So, I deposed an affidavit that I couldn’t find the originals. Subsequently, I found all the original copies of all my certificates and they are with me. Therefore, I do not understand what is inconsistent about that.

“Maybe the inconsistency in the Youths Corps certificate where he said my surname was missing an ‘i’ at the end, but if you look at that it was like a cursive, it was written in a cursive manner.

‘’So if that is an inconsistency for him, then it is sad that people of that quality are leading the Nigeria’s ruling party. For him, it was just to look for an excuse to take whatever decision he wants to take and it is sad that the party structure today gives him that sort of authority without checks, which is dangerous for any system or any institution.

‘’When you give authority and responsibility to people who don’t have character, people who do not have finesse, a sense of justice, then that institution is imperiled’’, Obaseki added.

Meanwhile, in an apparent show of solidarity, Edo State Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, has officially resigned from the APC following the footsteps of his superior, Governor Godwin Obaseki.

This is coming as Shaibu also threw his weight behind the decision of his superior who earlier dumped the ruling APC in his bid to seek reelection, saying the governor’s critics were only trying to score cheap political points.

Advancing reasons why Obaseki deserved re-election for the second term of four years, he said that the developmental stride embarked upon by the administration must not be left at crossroads.

In his resignation letter addressed to the Ward Chairman, APC Ward 11, Etsako West Local Government Area, Shaibu attributed his resignation to the highhandedness of national chairman of APC, Adams Oshiomhole, adding that the resignation takes immediate effect.

“It is with great pain that I am leaving the All Progressive Congress (APC) I helped and laboured to build as a result of the reckless and absolute lawlessness of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole – the suspended National Chairman of APC.

“His undemocratic and dictatorial tendencies exhibited at all times have become intolerable. The APC has been hijacked for some personal and selfish interests of an individual, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.

The height of it all was his highhandedness and intolerant conduct at the APC screening exercise. I believe that the President of our great country will be very sad at this development but I am left with no other choice than to take my political destiny in my hands. Hence, my resignation from the party,” the letter read.

In the meantime, the APC has said that it is not aware of the defection of the Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki from its party.

National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, in a reaction to media enquiries regarding the defection, said the party cannot comment on media reports suggesting that the governor has left the APC.

“The party has no record of the reported defection of Governor Godwin Obaseki from the Progressive party. We cannot comment at this moment on media reports suggesting the Edo governor or anyone else has left our great party,” he said.

However, the battle to get Governor Godwin Obaseki completely out of Edo State governorship contest deepened on Tuesday as All Progressives Congress (APC) that disqualified him threatened court action.

National Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, said the party will not hesitate to go to court if Governor Godwin Obaseki is fielded by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Oshiomhole, who spoke at the Court of Appeal on Tuesday, said the party will take Obaseki to court over the alleged discrepancies in academic qualifications.

“Fortunate enough, it was the PDP that exposed him in 2016. PDP filed a case at the Federal High Court amplifying every forgery segment in his certificate. APC just managed to escape that because PDP filed out of time and the case was struck out.

Edo: Oshiomhole impose candidate through crude technicalities – APC chieftain

“Now, the case has life so when they field him, we will be at the court to adopt what PDP filed before the court against him with additional evidence we now have against him. So, we can’t wait to have PDP field him as their candidate.

“So far, we are good, we will soon separate the boys from the men. He has had a good day abusing saying half truths against me, that’s fine,” Oshiomhole said.

According to him, Obaseki has that democratic right to leave or join any party of his choice.

“It is his right to leave APC, there is no compulsory membership of a party. A political party is a voluntary association, if you want to stay, you stay, if you want to leave, you leave. He has exercised that democratic right. However, from my point of view, it is a good riddance to bad rubbish,” he said.

Oshiomhole explained that the issue of his disqualification from contesting under the APC is about his certificate.

“When you forged a certificate like you saw in the case of Bayelsa State, where we won an election, and on account of irregularities on the certificate of our candidate, we lost out at the Supreme Court level.

“Only a foolish political party will not with due attention meticulously screen those who want to contest elections on the platform of the party,” he added.