- Loyal 14 Assembly members run to Buhari for rescue
Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State may have succeeded in waging strong war against political godfathers, a synonymous battle Oshiomhole began when he was Edo governor. This time, Oshiomhole is the victim, having committed political suicide in his attempt to rebuild the godfather structure he fought so hard to destroy in the state.
The battle for the soul of Edo has been fought with every political weapon in the arsenal of the governor and the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC). The Edo State House of Assembly has remained the battle field of the power tussle between Governor Obaseki and Oshiomhole. The Edo APC is another war turf. In the House of Assembly, 14 lawmakers were identified to be loyal to Oshiomhole. At different times they attempted to create artificial Assembly, while the others loyal to the governor perform their legislative functions at the Assembly complex. The 14 lawmakers also at their illicit office passed a resolution to impeach Governor Obaseki. The effort was futile.
Oshiomhole later attempted to use the federal might against Obaseki but the plot failed. The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, was deployed to Edo State to fight for the APC national chairman. Leading a delegation to Benin City, the Speaker ordered Governor Obaseki to issue fresh proclamation for the re-inauguration of the Edo House of Assembly, a directive that is beyond the powers of the federal lawmaker. This was challenged in court and the court nullified it.
Governor Obaseki has been crippling Oshiomhole in all fronts, making the national chairman loyalists more frustrated and helpless. Obaseki has firm control of the state party. The 2020 governorship ticket of APC has been identified as the bone of contention. Oshiomhole plots to stop Obaseki from second term and impose a new governor in Edo State. Obaseki has been resisting and deflating all plots.
Apparently, the 14 House members loyal to Oshiomhole are becoming more helpless as they have lost about five months of resuming duties or earning their salaries and allowances. They accordingly ran to President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja on Monday to appeal for his intervention and rescue.
A member of the Edo Syate House of Assembly identified to be representing Uhunmwode State Constituency, Washington Osifo, at a press conference in Abuja on Monday, appealed that the time for the President to intervene in the Edo crisis has come.
The lawmakers accusing Governor Obaseki of crossing ‘the red line’ said the governor is a threat to democracy, They told Obaseki to emulate former President Goodluck Jonathan who said that his ambition is not worth the blood of any Nigerian and abided by his word. They claimed that anarchy looms, expressing the need to avert breakdown of law and order in the state.
Osifo condemned the inauguration of 10 of the 24 members of the Edo House of Assembly by the Governor Obaseki. He said Governor Obaseki is working against the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the symbol of democracy represented by the legislature, demanding that the party stops and sanctions him.
The embattled Edo lawmakers also took their search for help to the National Assembly.