….Obaseki’s aide
….He lacks the competence to speak for APC, says spokesman

Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State.

By Ozioruva Aliu, Benin-City

The Special Adviser on Politics to Edo State Governor, Osaigbovo Iyoha has said that only a committee set up by the Presidency with input from the Progressives Governors Forum (PGF) would be able to reconcile the face-off between Governor Godwin Obaseki and the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Comrade Adams in Edo State.

Addressing a press conference in Government House, Iyoha carpeted last weekend’s rally held in Edo North Senatorial District where Oshiomhole received about 30,000 new entrants from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

He also said other committees including the recent one headed by the Senate President, Ahmed Lawan are mostly loyalists of Oshiomhole that would do his bidding.

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But Iyoha said Oshiomhole has been suspended from the party and no longer competent to act as the party chairman and that the rally organised in Edo North was also used to attack perceived opponents. He said the party members in Edo South would not allow such “unauthorized rallies”.

He said: “There is a current ban on political rallies in the state as announced by the state government and the Commissioner and Inspector General of Police we know that that ban has not been lifted and the national chairman went ahead to gather brigands where they unleashed violence on the people of our state, we will not accept that in Edo South.

“How can Adams Oshiomhoe set up a committee to reconcile us for the problems he created in Edo state? We are waiting for the presidency to set up a committee, we are very open to reconciliation, the issues are very clear.

Whenever the Presidency sets up a committee, the Progressives Governors Forum is a stakeholder we are ready but you cannot just wake and set up a committee of your own and then you think we will just lie down and say sorry, no, we will not be pushed around.”

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In a swift reaction, Publicity Secretary of the APC, Chris Azebanwman, said Iyoha does not have the capacity to speak for the party. He also said the Ahmed led committee was set up to reconcile APC members in all the states across the country where there is crisis and not for Edo State alone.

Azebanwan told Vanguard yesterday that “APC is guided by a constitution and “Iyoha is not an official of the party and he is therefore not qualified to speak for the party. In order not to be guilty of contempt, there are so many information I would have said much but they are in court and only the court will ultimately take a decision on that.‘‘

On the allegation that Oshiomhole organised a rally carried out violence against the people, he said: “Nobody organizes a marriage ceremony and then disrupts the reception, it defies logic.”

Vanguard News