Why I fell out with Oshiomhole — Obaseki

Much dramatics have surrounded the soon-to-come Edo state gubernatorial election, with the trio of former governor, Adams Oshiomhole, incumbent governor, Godwin Obaseki, and the All Progressives Congress flagbearer, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu taking turns at making the headlines over the course of the past few months.

A protracted political fight between governor Godwin Obaseki and his former political godfather, Adams Oshiomhole has ultimately degenerated to feisty dramatics that has turned the state’s physical and political space into a battleground playing host to a knife fight which has completely been devoid of any form of rules nor decorum.

In this interview, governor Obaseki provides a detailed explanation as to the eventualities that led to the festered relationship he now has with his former benefactor.

The governor said Oshiomhole and his APC cronies turned against him because of his reformation projects in Edo state and also refusing them to rule the state by proxy.

He said: “When I became governor, we had an understanding on how we were going to run the state. We had agreed to put an end to the use of non-state actors in revenue collection. These persons had been harassing women in markets. We had young men who didn’t respect the Enigies and Onogies; they took over land assets and sold a plot to three to five people.

They went about with guns and constituted a nuisance. Some people also came and promised young people jobs abroad, only for the young people to make journeys to Europe through Libya and the Mediterranean Sea”.

“The whole place was crisis-ridden. Nobody wanted to come down to Edo to invest. I said we couldn’t continue this way. We needed to change the status quo. I barred thugs (agberos) from the roads and markets and ensured that they stopped harassing market women and other persons in Edo.

READ ALSO: Edo 2020: Obaseki, Ize-Iyamu trade words at BBC debate

But some of the (APC) leaders said they would have none of that because, according to them, they helped me into office. They didn’t help me. The people voted for me and God helped me”.

The governor also accused Oshiomhole and some APC politicians of turning against him after he had refused sharing the state’s money to ‘entertain politicians’.

“As for sharing of the state’s money, I insisted that we must use the money for the people and change their lives with it. Crude oil prices were and are still low. There was a lot to do. Debts had piled up. There was work on ground to be done and if we used the available funds to entertain politicians, there would be nothing left to work for the people.

I said no to them. I came to serve God and my people. Whatever is available to us, we would manage it to work for the people. And today, many of our people are happy. Pensioners get their pay at the end of every month. They don’t protest anymore.

As of the time I assumed office, they were always at Ring Road adorned in black attire, crying that they had not been paid. These are old people with families. I asked, how would we be sharing money in government while we haven’t addressed this sort of challenge? I came to work pro bono for government for seven years. Oshiomhole said this. I don’t see him as my godfather. He helped me just as I helped him even before he became governor. I called people, raised money and helped him to become governor”.

He also refuted claims that his relationship with Oshiomhole was premised upon political godfatherism.

“That relationship is not godfather-godson relationship. When I said I wanted to run for office, he reciprocated and helped me. We moved together to campaign. I staked my money and got friends to fund my election. He didn’t pick me up from the roadside, gave me clothing and put me in Government House.

That was not the case. From what he did from the point he became the National Chairman of the APC, he didn’t seem as the same person I worked with before. It also goes to show that he had been hiding these tendencies from us before. When we analyzed his actions, it dawned on us that this was what he meant when he was fighting godfathers. He called the late Tony Anenih a godfather and said a lot about him. We agreed with him. At the point he became the National Chairman, he became worse than a godfather; he became a political bully. Nobody could talk where he was”.

Obaseki expressed absolute optimism that having served Edo people as honestly and as faithfully as possible, the people would turn out en masse to renew the mandate bestowed upon him four years ago to continue steering the ship of the developmental plan for Edo state.

“For the past three years and nine months, I have, by the grace of Almighty God and the support of my people, done my best to uphold their interest. Consequently, I believe that my people have rallied in large numbers to support me, giving me the assurance that they would troop out en-masse to re-elect me on September 19”.