Edo 2020: Oshiomhole lays fresh ambush for Obaseki, poaches governor’s men

The former national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, is beginning to change his strategy to strengthen his plan to unseat Governor Godwin Obaseki in the September 19 governorship election in Edo State. Sources from the Edo State APC disclosed to National Daily that Oshiomhole has deepened political simulation to poach appointees in the Obaseki administration and make them switch camp from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC. The former APC chairman was said to have been behind the recent defections of some commissioners, lawmakers and other appointees in the state parastatal from the PDP to the APC. The party source also said that the former APC chairman modified his poaching techniques to successfully convince the state actors to abandon their  appointments and join the APC with the confidence that they will all recover their appointments after the governorship election.

The party source disclosed to National Daily that there would be more defections from the PDP to the APC few weeks to the governorship election. He said that the state actors returning to the APC are strong grassroots leaders, which he said is a serious threat to incumbent Governor Obaseki who is seeking re-election for a second tenure on the platform of the PDP.

However, the Chairman of the Edo State PDP Campaign Council, Dan Orbih, dismissed Oshiomhole’s poaching strategy. Orbih expressed the belief that recent defections from PDP to APC was sheer plot to blackmail Governor Obaseki, the PDP candidate. Orbih noted the defection of the Deputy Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Yekini Idaye, and four other members of the House to the APC.

National Daily gathered that the lawmakers were part of the 10 legislators inaugurated in July 2019, excluding 14 other lawmakers yet to be sworn into office. The defecting state actors are anticipated to reinforce the APC in the Edo governorship election.