Oshiomhole to Obaseki: Face governance, stop blackmailing me

THE battle rages on between All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman Adams Oshiomhole and Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki.

Oshiomhole on Tuesday urged Obaseki to focus on delivery of good governance to the people rather than blackmailing his personality.

But the governor insisted that the party chairman should call his men to order and insisted that the party’s structure in the state is in his hands and that his second term is guaranteed.

Oshiomhole gave the advice in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Simon Ebegbulem, in Abuja on Tuesday.

The National Chairman of the ruling party insisted that there was a siege to his residence in Benin on October 12, but Obaseki, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Mr. Crusoe Osagie, said Oshiomhole was never attacked in the state.

“We have no knowledge of alleged attack on the residence of the APC National Chairman based on a report we received from the State Commissioner of Police, DanMallam Muhammed,” Obaseki said.

He said the former governor did not inform his office, Commissioner of Police or State Director of the Department of State Service (DSS) for security while on visit to the state.

According to him, if our party’s national chairman informed the authorities while visiting the state, there would be less acrimony.

He urged Oshiomhole, government functionaries and political office holders to observe protocols while visiting the state.

Oshiomhole said: “We have it on good authority that the governor (Obaseki) intends to create disaffection and crisis in the state, APC and probably dump the party for another party.

“That is why; he has embarked on this brigandage which Edo people will resist. So, he should stop blackmailing me and face governance which is why Edo people voted him into power.

“We are even more scared now that the governor is making every effort to coerce me into giving him details of my movement in Edo State. Who knows what he is plotting again. But every evil plot against me will fail.”

He alleged that last Saturday’s siege to his residence was a good example.

“Before that incident, state government-sponsored thugs have been harassing, intimidating APC members across the 18 local government areas of the state because APC leaders refused to adopt his second term aspiration.

“People are being sacked from their jobs everyday in the state,” he said.