…Says, ‘It’s Oshiomhole’s rascality in APC
Anthony Iwuoma
Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State has decided not to appeal his disqualification from the All Progressives Congress (APC) primaries, describing it as “Oshiomhole’s rascality.”
Obaseki was disqualified from participating vin the June 22 primaries alongside two others, Osari Obazee and Chris Ogiemwonyi.
The governor’s Special Adviser on Media and Communication Strategy, Crusoe Osagie, in a statement quoted Obaseki to have said: “We have watched the mockery of democratic process, which Comrade Adams Oshiomhole is administering and superintending over in our great party, the All Progressives Congress, APC.
“It has been an unfortunate, disheartening and dreadful spectacle.
“We had initially asserted that going by the open display and enthronement of illegality by one man in the party that comprises several organs and eminent personalities, there is no way that Governor Godwin Obaseki would get a fair assessment in the run-up to the nomination of candidates to fly the flag of the party in the forthcoming Edo gubernatorial election.
“It is unfortunate that this open show of shame, illegality and travesty of justice is the brand of democracy which Comrade Oshiomhole has reduced the APC into. The situation is quite saddening because this is a party supposedly reputed for change, equity and social justice.
“We have, therefore, decided that it would be efforts in futility to appeal whatever the unjust outcome of the evaluation and screening process of the APC will be, especially when Comrade Oshiomhole has declared that he is the Supreme Court and ultimate determiner of the fate and future of our great party.
“We wish Oshiomhole luck in his maladministration of the party and trust that the Almighty will help our country to find the path to true liberty, freedom and justice.
“We call on all party members and the teeming supporters of Governor Obaseki to remain calm and await further directives.”
The governor had earlier expressed fears that he would be unfairly treated by the screening committee at the behest of the APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole.
In fact, Obaseki also issued a statement earlier in the day, saying his disqualification would be announced in the day. This was done when chairman of the creening committee, Professor Jonathan Ayuba, releaesd the names of the aspirants they considered unsuitable to fly the APC flag gubernatorial election.
Meanwhile, former governor of Edo State and the immediate past National Chairman of the APC , Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, , has described Obaseki’s disqualification as a ‘hatchet job’.
In a statement signed by Ray Morphy, his Public Affairs Adviser, Odigie-Oyegun said the governor was disqualified because of the desire to foist a stooge that would allow some people unrestricted access to Edo State Treasury, adding that the development spelt doom for internal democracy the party.
The statement said: “I daresay that APC will suffer dire consequences in Edo state if this disqualification is not speedily reversed.
“As a matter of fact, Oshiomhole is indeed the one who is guilty of anti-party, not Obaseki. Oshiomhole is the one who is acting unconstitutionally not Obaseki. I hope that Oshiomhole will not go down in history as the undertaker of APC.”
