GETTING IT RIGHT WITH EDO APC POLITICS

BY DAN OWEGIE

It was a time to get the political machine rolling again for the 2020 political journey when Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, last week openly declared that there was no rift between him and his predecessor in office, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, who is currently, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress to put paid to dirty politics by some enemies within.

This clarification came at the right time describing the continuous report of rift between him and Oshiomhole as a “fake news.” One expects that with this declaration, rumour mongers, sorcerers, enemies within, gossips, and back stabbers can now close shops on this matter for the very obvious reasons:

First, Obaseki is a very focused governor who has refused to be distracted by selfish individuals who do not mean well for Edo State. He has told Edo people to be engaging themselves with how the government could provide good governance and not on petty issues which some persons are experts at raising.

Very determined to continue to unleash more dividends of democracy on the people, Obaseki also said Edo people should expect more “wake and see” as he had returned from his annual vacation refreshed, feeling good, and ready to continue to deliver good governance to the people of the state.

Secondly, Governor Obaseki as the leader of the APC in Edo is very much in control of the party machinery in the state. Most of the party leaders, if not all have their unalloyed loyalty to the Governor and are fully impressed with his performance thus far. From the State Party machinery to all the 18 local government chairmen, Ward and party leaders he enjoys popular support.

Thirdly, when the All Progressives Congress (APC) was given birth to some few years back, we promised Nigerians and, in this case,, Edo people “Change.” What we meant with our promised change was that we were going to do things differently from the way the PDP does theirs. We promised Nigerians, through change, a new lease of life. Obaseki has come to give life to that promise as he represents that change. He assured Edo people when he went round the state for campaigns with then Governor Adams Oshiomhlole that it was not going to be business as usual.

We wanted a sharp departure from the locust days of the PDP. Edo people do not want and do not deserve any hemorrhaging of the state’s finances. Edo people want development and more development. That’s all. They do not want thieves in power. Everyone in the state has rejected the PDP as a party. Those remaining in the ill-fated PDP are daily moving into the APC.

One can recall a tsunami that happened in Egor PDP during the last governorship election in the state. A total of 4,536 aggrieved members of the Peoples Democratic Party, decamped to the APC in one day alone. Leader of the defectors at that time, Mr. Promise Igbinevbo, who spoke on behalf of the others said the PDP had deceived them over the years and that the party was yet to shed its old ways in spite of attempts to rebrand it.

He said: “We are here to bury PDP today. We were deceived by some political leaders of the PDP all these years. Today, they call them new PDP but I realized that old PDP remains. I later realized that they are like the leopard which doesn’t change its skin.

“PDP leaders are conservatives. PDP leaders cry for their parochial interest alone to the detriment of their followers.” They told the APC Governorship candidate, Mr. Godwin Obaseki that in democracy, the minority will have their say while the majority will have their way. Today, the majority are having their way from the PDP to APC.”

Igbinevbo who called out each of the 4,536 decampees from across the wards in Egor Local Government said he and the new APC members would go out on their own to ensure total victory for the APC in the local government area. There were several other similar situations at that time and the PDP as a party is like the Leopard that cannot change its skin. There is something fundamentally wrong with the party from birth.

However, we are not unmindful of some fifth columnist within the APC who have been fanning the embers of disunity and giving the public the pseudo-belief that Oshiomghole and Obaseki are on war paths over who should get the party’s governorship ticket for the gubernatorial poll slated for 2020 in the state. For us in the APC, this is a closed issue. There is no sane person that changes a wining team. Field Governor Godwin Obaseki as APC candidate in the next year’s Governorship election in the state, it will be a landslide victory for the party. It will be 18 over 18 Local Governments. So, nobody would want to risk bringing an unknown figure into the fray to satisfy some greedy persons’ ego.

Our party leaders are already coming out to express their readiness for the polls ahead of the primaries. The Oredo Local Government Area chapter of the APC has set the pace for others to follow as it urged the governor to seek re-election on the strength of his performance in office and pledged unwavering support to deliver the governor should he signify interest. The Oredo APC leaders insist that it has endorsed the governor as its sole candidate at the poll as a reward for hard work. The endorsement was contained in a communiqué issued after a meeting of the local government executives, ward chairmen, councilors and leaders from the 12 wards. This was vide a statement issued and signed by Hon. Goodwill Alabi, Chairman (Oredo LGA APC), Magdalene Isekhuere (Secretary) and 40 others.

A spoiler group within the APC which goes by the name, Concerned Edo Youths for Good Governance (CEYGG), recently said the party should decide who gets APC’s ticket through a credible, free and fair primary in the state. Its Director of Publicity, Dr. Calistus Osamoyi, in a statement released to the public admonished Obaseki to be wary of those endorsing him for a second term, stressing: “It is nauseating to hear people saying there is no vacancy in Osadebey Avenue, because they want to make Obaseki happy. We are calling on these party leaders to allow Edo people pick their governor come 2020 and not leaders, who have already compromised and are trying to justify their pay.”

The group feigned that APC is known for conducting primaries even in states where they have sitting governors, adding that Obaseki must merit a second term and not through sycophants who are professionals in creating crisis so they could feast on the governor. Who in Edo State does not know that Obaseki merits a second term? To start with, the constitution of the APC does not know those people. Secondly, only people with hidden agenda would make the kind of comments the unknown group made and the APC should not take them seriously.

Another man stoking crisis within is Chief Francis Inegbiniki, who recently stated that Obaseki’s second term ambition would remain a fantasy until he (the governor) secures the backing of the APC national chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole. Francis Inegnineki does not know that both Oshiomhole and Obaseki have been friends for a long time and nobody can come in between both friends. Inegbineki should not come with a holier than thou posturing before the duo because when the chips are down, he would soon discover the futility in his moves.

Edo people should discountenance the commentaries of these persons regarding whether or not our performing Governor will secure the party’s ticket or not. Edo people should dismiss their vituperations as the ranting of the ants because at the appropriate time, the APC would elect Governor Godwin Obaseki as its standard bearer for next year’s gubernatorial poll so that he can get the much deserved second term to continue the good work he is doing for Edo people.

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