By Osahon Osahon
Edo State governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki says the All Progressives Congress (APC) won more votes and political seats than when his predecessor and national chairman of the party, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole was governor in the state.
Obaseki, who was replying to Oshiomhole’s recent outburst that the governor did not win his area in the 2019 general elections in the state, described his estranged political godfather as serial liar that should not be taken serious by Nigerians.
In a statement on Monday signed by Obaseki’s Special Adviser on Media and Communication Strategy, Mr. Crusoe Osagie, said the ruling APC won more votes under him in the last general elections than when Oshiomhole was Edo governor.
The statement accused the APC national chairman whom he said was always engaged in twisting the truth as the one fueling the crisis in the party both at the state and national level.
It would be recalled that Oshiomhole had last weekend while addressing journalists in Benin, alleged that Obaseki failed to learn how to win elections while under his tutelage.
Responding to each of the issues raised in Oshiomhole’s outburst, the Edo governor clarified that he did not only win his unit and ward during the last general election but also polled more votes for President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019 elections than Oshiomhole, when he was governor during the 2015 elections.
According to him, “In 2015, when Oshiomhole was governor, he polled 208,469 votes against Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) 286,869, with a 78,400 deficit. While in 2019, under Obaseki, the APC scored 267,842, while the PDP got 275,691, with a 7,849 marginal loss.
“In the House of Representatives, the state had 4 seats for the APC, against 5 for the PDP in 2015, while in 2019, under Obaseki, the APC won 5 seats, against the PDP’s 4. In the State House of Assembly, the APC won the entire 24 seats, which never happened under Oshiomhole’s administration.
“It bears repeating that the governor won his unit and ward in the general election and the marginal losses that the APC suffered in the state were orchestrated by Comrade Oshiomhole, who connived with some elements within the party to sabotage the APC, especially in Edo South in an attempt to de-market the governor politically.
“Chief among the collaborators with Oshiomhole to sabotage the president’s election in Edo South is Gen. Charles Airhiavbere, who did not only dislodge APC’s agents at the polling booths but also funded the opposition in some units and wards to enable them have an upper hand against the APC.”
“Another instance where Oshiomhole told a blatant lie in the full glare of the public was when Governor Obaseki went to the former governor’s residence in Iyamho during the last Sallah celebration. Oshiomhole told the world that he had no issue with Obaseki and that what people were witnessing was a media construction. This has since turned out to be far from the truth.
“The suspended National Chairman also said that he appointed only one Commissioner in the Governor’s cabinet. This is false, as it couldn’t have been possible since he picked a good number of the people who work with the governor, including the Deputy Governor, Comrade Shaibu; Secretary to the State Government, Osarodion Ogie, and many others.
“On another occasion, the former Commissioner of Police in the state, Mohammed Dan Mallam, publicly debunked the lie by Oshiomhole that his Benin residence was attacked. The CP categorically said the claim was false and that the Police, which ought to be in the know, could confirm that there was no attack on Oshiomhole’s house.
“Comrade Oshiomhole after the incident said that the attack was carried out by Comrade Shaibu, but the same Shaibu was in the vehicle that was attacked. So, this goes to show that Oshiomhole never tells the truth.
“The governor’s aide said with the endless tall-tales by the suspended National Chairman, the average Nigerian should know by now that Oshiomhole doesn’t stick to one story, noting, “It is rather unfortunate. It is the manifestation of this that we see with the crisis associated with different chapters of the APC across the country.”
