The Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, has described his predecessor and National Chairman of ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole as a serial liar again as he countered the APC National chairman’s claim of not playing any form of godfather in the state’s politics.
Oshiomhole had in a television interview on Friday denied playing any godfather in the state, saying that he felt ’embarrassed’ at the governor’s faction accusing him of plot to install himself as godfather despite his efforts to ensure peaceful coexistence in the state.
“If I wanted to be, then I will be nominating commissioners. I only persuaded him (Obaseki) to accept one commissioner from me; only one and I gave my reasons- because he was a founding member of my campaign organisation in 2006, Mika. Other than Mika, I did not nominate any Commissioner, I did not nominate any Special Adviser, Special Assistant because for me these are governance issues. So where is the godfather role coming from?” Oshiomhole claimed.
But is a his reaction o the former Governor’s cxlaim, Obaseki in a statement issued by his media aide, Crusoe Osagie, on Saturday, accused Mr Oshiomhole of falsifying facts over the nomination of commissioners.
He said: “Oshiomole did not only pick the governor, the deputy governor and Secretary to the State Government (SSG) in Edo State, he compiled the list of the state’s commissioners in his living room in 2016.”
The Edo State Governor also accused Mr Oshiomhole of conniving with ‘some cronies’ in the presidency to carry out hasty appointment of board members of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) which “run afoul of due process and the constitution.”
The NDDC, set up in the year 2000, under supervision of the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) was recently transferred as an agency under the Niger Delta Ministry.
The Edo state governor alleged that for the timely decision of President Buhari, the initial plan of the APC National Chairman was to plant his stooges in the NDDC board for ease of access to fund to “finance the political tension in Edo State towards possibly seizing control of the Edo State government from Governor Obaseki.”
“He did not care whether the rules were followed or not; or for the integrity of the people being appointed. All he wanted was to achieve his aim and keep Edo State under his stranglehold as the new godfather.”
“Fortunately for Nigerians and Niger Delta people, our calm and methodical President, Muhammadu Buhari, has since seen through Comrade Oshiomhole’s mischief and ordered the forensic audit of the NDDC and the re-composition of the illegal board which Comrade Oshiomhole was trying to emplace,” he added.
