Buhari Directed Edo APC To Deal With Oshiomole – Obaseki

The Edo State Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, has said President Muhammadu Buhari had directed the Edo state chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC to deal with the pro-Oshiomhole Edo Progressive Movement and the national chairman for anti-party activities.

The governor, according to a Government House statement obtained by The Punch said these at a rally  of the  APC members from the Owan East and West Local Government Areas in Sabogida-Ora.

Efforts of the APC to resolve the crisis in its Edo State chapter have so far not succeeded with factions loyal to Obaseki and Oshiomhole insisting on their positions.

On November 12,  the crisis worsened as each of the two rival factions suspended Oshiomhole and Obaseki. Obaseki had rejected a peace committee set up by the APC National Working Committee late November on the grounds that the panel, headed by the Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, was the brainchild of the Oshiomhole-led NWC

Again on November 18, the APC set up a 10-member committee, headed by the President of the Senate, Dr Ahmed Lawan, but Obaseki opposed it, saying the National Assembly leadership was a party to the crisis in Edo State.

At the rally, the governor said the APC in the state was united, strong and formidable, stressing that members of the EPM were not members of the party.

The governor said, “The APC is one party.  Those that say they are in the EPM are not APC, including their national chairman, who we have suspended in Edo State. Those mistakenly elected into Edo State House of Assembly,  who are members of the EPM, have been thrown out and the Independent National Electoral Commission is aware and will soon announce a date for a fresh election, where we will have opportunity to elect credible representatives, who will represent us in the House.

“Any person doing anti-party activities, President Muhammadu Buhari has asked us to deal with them. We have been told to go back to organise our party.  That’s why we are here. As a ruling party in the state, we have done a lot for the Edo people, moving the state forward progressively, but the EPM are afraid of progress and will do anything to ensure we don’t get another term.”

Obaseki alleged that the EPM members were trying to frustrate the good plans of his government for the people of the state.

Their intention is to discredit our administration, but the people of Edo know better,” he said.

Obaseki explained that his administration was achieving a lot in agriculture in the state, adding that government would soon commence work on the Sobe-Sabogida-Ora road.