When Godwin Obaseki emerged the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the September 10 election in Edo State. Comrade Adams Oshiomhole who was governor at that time described the primaries as the best ever organised by the party.
He noted that the process was transparent, while the delegates were well behaved and called for unity among party members.
He said all the aspirants belonged to one family and needed to work together to ensure victory at the polls.
Comrade Oshiomhole, who described Mr. Obaseki as sound, said he was also at home with governance and “ready to hit the ground running.”
Governor Aminu Masari of Katsina State, the leader of the party’s national delegation that conducted the primary election, announced the results in Benin, the state capital.
Mr. Masari said Mr. Obaseki scored 1,618 votes to defeat his 11 opponents.
He described the election as credible, fair, and free and urged the losers and their supporters to close ranks ahead of the crucial governorship election in the state.
Fast forward to four years later, because of his rift with Obaseki, Oshiomhole is angling to install a man whom he said cannot be trusted with public funds as the governor of Edo.
What is at play here is Oshiomhole’s vulgar interest – obviously. He wants to rule by proxy and of course, relish the benefits of puppeteering.
But where is the interest of the Edo people in all of these? Has the governor failed in his duties? Has he failed on his promises to the people? Has he misused public funds? Are the social and economic indices of the state better or worse than they were four years ago? I believe these gradients should be the basis on which Obaseki is assessed.
Really, Obaseki played into the jaws of the kraken.
Obaseki alleged that Oshiomhole pencilled down names of those he must appoint as commissioners in his living room – but he rejected them. Though, the APC national chairman denied the allegation, he admitted he had recommended one or two names to be appointed as commissioners. That fact is there was a covenant, and the deal broke. Nigeria’s classical primitive politics!
In 2016, the APC rubber-stamped the candidature of Obaseki, but in 2020, the same party has disqualified him from vying for its ticket in the Edo governorship primary election over ‘’inconsistencies in his academic credentials’’. Why now? This clearly limns the APC has a party that is vacant of principles, integrity, and utility. There could be nothing more fatally astounding.
AFRICA DAILY NEWS, NEW YORK
