By Alemma-Ozioruva Aliu

One thing that cannot be denied about the conflict in Edo State House of Assembly is that it is a battle between the supporters of the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, and   Governor Godwin Obaseki.

The issue at stake is the 2020 governorship election in the state and who controls the structure of the party.

It is widely believed that Obaseki has fallen out with many party faithful for many reasons.

Sunday Vanguard learned that Obaseki’s advisers were able to convince him that losing grip of the House of Assembly would be disastrous. Hence the controversial inauguration of the nine of the 24 members-elect of the House.

Though the impasse appears to be between Oshiomhole and Obaseki, there are other key actors and groups on both sides.

Most of those identified by Sunday Vanguard are playing their roles from the background.

They include the Deputy Governor, Comrade Philip Shaibu; Secretary to State Government, SSG, Osarodion Ogie; Chief of Staff, Taiwo Akerele, and some former lawmakers including principal officers in the Sixth Assembly.

Others include the Edo Peoples Movement, EPM, which actually started the opposition to Obaseki, a former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Henry Idahagbon;   Chris Okaeben; Washington Osifo; and Victor Edoror.

Shaibu

As a former Majority Leader of the House and someone, who was instrumental to the take over of the House from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, when Oshiomhole was governor, Shaibu was very visible in the processes that led to the inauguration.

It was learned that it was from his residence that some of the lawmakers were invited to a meeting, and subsequently driven to the House of Assembly Complex. Some of his aides were seen coordinating the inauguration. Till date, he has not made any public statement on the matter.

Ogie

Not given to making public statements but remains very influential since the days of Oshiomhole, Sunday Vanguard gathered that he assembled lawyers to look at the legality of all the actions.

Some principal officers of the last House of Assembly, like former Speaker Kabiru Adjoto and former Majority Leader Osaigbovo Iyoha, also played some roles in adopting the strategies for the inauguration to thwart the plans of opposing lawmakers.

EPM

The group, in the last few weeks, has become the main opposition voice to the Obaseki administration.   EPM has continuously claimed that it was bent on ensuring that the governor does not get a second term ticket.   The group said its actions were aimed at repositioning the APC. It is believed that its leaders are backing the lawmakers opposed to the inauguration.

Henry Idahagbon

The former Attorney General and one of the early supporters of Obaseki has continuously maintained that the House was not properly inaugurated. He has demanded that the House be inaugurated according to the law.

Washington Osifo

A member-elect from Uhunmwonde Constituency, he is the face of the ‘rebellious’ lawmakers-elect. He is one of the coordinators and spokesperson for the lawmakers. Osifo said they were waiting for a formal letter from the Clerk of the House after he had called them to expect it, adding that they suddenly started seeing the pictures of the night inauguration on the social media.

Opposition to itself

However, happenings in the last few days indicated that even if the crisis is resolved, the APC would be an opposition to itself in the Assembly.