At last, Oshiomhole begs Obaseki, seeks reconciliation

Former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, has at last begged Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State, after the political season of hostilities and intransigence in the buildup to the September 19, 2020, governorship election. Oshiomhole, in a letter to the Edo Governor, begged Obaseki to be magnanimous in victory, appealing that Obaseki should know that he is governor of all Edo people irrespective of political party affiliations.

The Supreme Court judgement had become the albatross of Oshiomhole’s political adventure in Edo State. The judgement which absolved Governor Obaseki from certificate forgery, a political tool Oshiomhole had boasted will be used to oust Obaseki from office after winning the governorship election, signaled the end of the road for the former Edo governor.

Accordingly, Oshiomhole in a letter, congratulated Governor Obaseki on the judgement of the Supreme Court which upheld his re-election for a second tenure in 2020.

Oshiomhole appealed that all conflicts over the governorship election have now been laid to rest; therefore, begging “Governor Obaseki to be magnanimous in victory,” telling him that he is “the governor of all Edo people regardless of their political leanings.”

Oshiomhole stated that “contrary to what events may have suggested, their relationship had developed into one of brothers of a different mother;” noting that “the disagreement between them was unfortunate.” The former governor said he has put the past behind him and moved on.

Oshiomhole used his office as APC national chairman to stop Obaseki from securing the party ticket for the September 19, 2020, governorship election in Edo State; giving the ticket to Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu. Obaseki defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), got the party’s governorship ticket and defeated Ize-Iyamu of the APC.

The desperation to stop Obaseki from second tenure continued after the election with legal suits in courts; Obaseki won all the cases.

Governor Obaseki succeeded Adams Oshiomhole in November 2016 on the APC platform.