By Ishaya Ibrahim (Lagos)
and Titus Oise (Benin)
Adams Oshiomhole, who rode on his reputation as a democratic Labour leader to become Edo State governor in 2008, is being accused of dictatorship from all angles, a charge that threatens smooth transition as he quits office in September.
Adversaries are aghast that, Oshiomhole, a virulent critic of autocrats, both military and civilian, is determined to impose Godwin Obaseki as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate to succeed him. But he is not finding it easy.
The former Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) president is getting sidekicks from his APC stalwarts as well as frontal punches from Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) juggernauts.
Ever since his Deputy, Pius Odubu, showed interest in the governorship, things have not been the same between the two men. Their robust relationship has turned sour.
Despite occasional verbal political fireworks, Edo is generally peaceful. But the rift in Government House is tearing the state into two factions, and the APC national leadership looks the other way, unperturbed.
President Muhammadu Buhari, APC leader, declines to call the combatants to order, especially Oshiomhole, whose preference for Obaseki is the genesis of the conflict.
When TheNiche asked Buhari’s Media Assistant, Garba Shehu, why his principal is mute on the fracas, he said the party is in a better position to speak on it.
Buildup of rift
Oshiomhole wants someone else to succeed him, not his deputy, and wants to do everything to stop Odubu, according to his opponents.
On the other hand, Odubu has political clout, and seems popular enough to stop Oshiomhole’s machinery.
The man who wants to succeed his boss recalls easily what happened in Ebonyi State where the then Deputy Governor, Dave Umahi, wrestled the then Governor Martins Elechi, to the ground in emerging the PDP governorship candidate.
Umahi eventually won the election.
However, strident alarm bells rang on Saturday, April 30, 2016 when gunmen attacked Odubu and his campaign team at the secretariat of the APC in Auchi.
When the smoke cleared, eight persons had been injured, including security details in his convoy. Those injured are still receiving treatment at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH).
On Sunday, May 1, Odubu’s campaign organisation addressed a press conference on the assassination attempt on its principal – which was quickly dismissed by Information and Orientation Commissioner, Kassim Afegbua, who described as laughable the alleged attempt on Odubu’s life.
On Tuesday, May 3, there was confusion when state House of Assembly Speaker, Victor Edoror, and his Deputy, Bright Osayande, were impeached by 16 of the 24 legislators.
Elizabeth Ativie (Uhunwomde Constituency), an ally of Oshiomhole, was made the speaker and Justice Okonobor (Igueben Constituency) deputy speaker.
Another lawmaker, Osaigbovo Iyoha, has since crossed the carpet from Edoror’s column to join the Ativie camp – making it 17 for Oshiomhole, and seven for Odubu.
Maradona has run full circle, says PDP
Edo PDP Chairman, Dan Orbih, told TheNiche in an interview that Oshiomhole came into the political scene like (former Argentine Captain) Diego Maradona and dribbled everybody scoring goals by hook and crook.
His words: “When Maradona broke into the scene in world football, he mesmerised every team, he dribbled one particular team from his own half to score a goal.
“Where he could not score goal, he would use the hand of God. And every person said a genius has been born.
“Before he left active football, he became anonymous because people now knew him well. To even score a goal in a World Cup tournament was a problem.
“Like Maradona, Oshiomhole bursts into the scene, and people did not know much about him. He dribbled every person. Towards the tail end of his tenure, people now know Oshiomhole well. Oshiomhole can no longer dribble.
“One day he shouts that [Odubu] wants to kill him with native doctor or juju. The next day, they will organise armed men to shoot at [Odubu]. The people are now praying everyday to see the end of Oshiomhole.
“If it was before, when they announced that Greek gift of N25,000 minimum wage, the whole state would have been celebrating him, dancing in the street and saying Osho baba. Now they call him Osho wayo.”
Orbih said the PDP is devising measures to clean up the mess in the state.
“Oshimhole has borrowed more than any other previous government. He has misused the resources of the state to a level that cannot be imagined.
“He spends between N500 million and N700 million of the security vote in a month, in a state where there is no Boko Haram.”
Impeachment plot against Odubu
Edo for Good Governance (EGG), a popular group in the state, alleged that the removal of the leadership of the state House of Assembly is a prelude to the impeachment of Odubu.
A statement issued by EGG Co-ordinator, John Ogbeide, described the impeachment of Edoror and Osayande as part of the plot to eliminate Odubu from the APC governorship ticket.
Said he: “It’s an open secret that all efforts to make Odubu give up his resolve to vie for the ticket have failed.
“For the avoidance of doubt, EGG wishes to put the national leadership of the APC on notice as well as alert our democracy-loving President Muhammadu Buhari to call Oshiomhole to order to allow democracy and one-man one-vote prevail in Edo as the party prepares for the primaries in the next four weeks.
“Odubu is not asking for any special favour but only a level playing field to allow our party members freely choose who to carry the party’s flag in the September 10 election.
“We will resist geo-godfatherism, imposition or rigging of any sort.
“We call on Buhari to call [Oshiomhole] to order today before he plunges our state into avoidable bloodshed.”
Ativie denies conspiracy
However, Ativie told TheNiche that her emergence as speaker has nothing to do with the crisis of confidence between Oshiomhole and Odubu.
“Since this problem started, you would have noticed that no member of the House has spoken. There is no impeachment plan against [Odubu],” she stressed.
Cutting Odubu to size
Despite that denial, opponents point to Oshiomhole’s anger over the resilience of Odubu to seek the APC ticket, which they say made him to sack political appointees who were present at Odubu’s flag off of his campaign.
The House of Assembly has ordered the arrest of Godwin Oriafo, chief press secretary to Edoror, for claiming that his principal remains the speaker.
Besides, Curtis Ugbor, former media assistant to Oshiomhole, has alleged that Oshiomhole is after his life for supporting Odubu.
He told TheNiche in a telephone interview from his hospital bed (name withheld) in Benin that he is being punished for no just cause.
Ugbor, a rights activist cum politician, was one of the political appointees who lost their jobs because of their allegiance to Odubu.
He disclosed that his arrest on allegations of writing inciting comments about Oshiomhole was carried out by about 25 armed security officers who searched his home.
He said the manner of his arrest a few days before his sack was an eye-opener.
He recalled that his problem with Oshiomhole started last year when he accompanied him to Bayelsa State where he supervised the governorship primaries of the APC.
“The problem started after the Bayelsa State APC governorship primaries. I also advised him to be neutral in the way and manner he handles the Edo State primaries as he is a leader of the party.
“I told him that even if he has a choice he should keep it close to his chest as we are all his children.
“However, barely a week later, he announced that he is supporting Godwin Obaseki to succeed him,” Ugbor narrated.
Since then, he added, Oshiomhole has been at war with those he feels oppose his anointed candidate, which made him sack 12 political appointees.
Oshiomhole fails to respond
When TheNiche phoned up Oshiomhole’s Chief Press Secretary, Peter Okhira, for comment, he requested that the question be sent to him by text message. It was sent by text, but he did not reply at press time.
