BUT you and I know that that is not true, here are the political leaders, and supporters of the PDP here in Edo State gathered so the truth is that the Governor of Edo State has political supporters with him.

“However, I am not saying that any support is useless. In party, the more, the merrier; we welcome the support of all and sundry because the more we are the merrier it will be. The more hands there are, the easier it will be for us to carry the load. No one person can carry the load all by himself, that is the message”.

The Governor made this known in an enlarged meeting of the party at the indoor sports hall of the Samuel Ogbemudia stadium with supporters from the three senatorial zones. He added that he has the followership that could win the state to the PDP in case of a fresh election was ordered by the Court of Appeal in the Oshiomhole tangle.

Isaiah Osifo was the cause of the protest against Osunbor for allegedly influencing the ruling of the state government Election Appeal Tribunal that ordered the swearing in of three new council chairmen loyal to Governor Osunbor.

The consequence is that Justice Roland Amaize and Mr. Lucky Imasuen, the Deputy Governor both petitioned the Police, suspecting one another of being the architect of a threat to life through text messages to the other.

The three local government areas the local government Election Appeal Tribunal annulled elections are those of Esan Central, where former Vice President, Vice Admiral Augustus Aikhomu (rtd) holds the ace; he is loyal to Chief Anenih and he also hails from there. The others are Egor and Ikpoba Okha local government areas. The appeal court said their nomination by the party was fraught with irregularities.

The affected chairmen are Mr. Ford Esoimeme and Victor Obozokhae, chairman and vice chairman of Esan Central Local Government Area and Ehi Egharevba and Osazuwa Ehiorobo of Egor and Ikpoba Okha local government areas, respectively. They all belong to the Chief Tony Anenih faction of the party.

The court had ordered that their rivals who belong to the Governor’s faction, Emmanuel Agbale and Francis Ubele of Esan Central, be sworn in as chairman and vice chairman of the council. Crosby Eribo and Mrs. Itohan were also to be sworn in as chairmen of Egor and Ikpoba Okha local government areas.

The protesters who marched to the Federal High Court Complex, the state House of Assembly and the Oba’s palace, called for the removal of  Justices Roland Amaize and Stella Oigboke that gave the judgment of the appeal tribunal. They alleged that they were induced to give the now controversial judgment. It would be recalled that there was a minority report in the ruling.

The protesters alleged that tribunal members were bribed with N25 million through the Chief of Staff to the state government. But Osifo said: “It is easy to open wide allegations but it is most responsible to substantiate and defend. Any allegation that will question my integrity will be challenged in the court”.

What then are the consequences on Osunbor; a member representing Owan Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Johnson Abolagba had to take Osunbor to the cleaners saying: “With the huge allocation accruing to the state in recent times, he was yet to see any tangible project”.

According to Abolagba: “If you look at the money that comes to the State today, especially in recent times, I have not seen anything magical done by the present administration with the magical money”.

Abolagba who was asked to assess the Governor Osunbor-led administration and other successive governments 17 years after the states creation lambasted past leaders as responsible for the woes that have befallen the State since its creation on August 27, 1997.

His words: “Now, you have an Osunbor there. We are watching. It is too early to assess him. Before you assess a man, you must have seen what he has done. I have been unable to see what he has done for which I will assess him. Posterity will judge him if he takes Edo State backward or forward.

Mr. Osazuwa IDUOZE, a PDP chieftain in Edo South Senatorial District, writes from Benin City.