Yakubu Osakhuenokhuodin
During the inauguration of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) governorship campaign council held on Friday, as usual, Governor Obaseki was caught in the web of his lies when he alleged without proof that party members fighting the PDP has been paid by other parties. According to him, “Those fighting PDP have collected money from other political parties and I want you all present here to join me to flush them out. Let them stay out since they have collected money.” He was apparently refering to PDP Legacy Group, headed by Chief Dan Orbih.
Obaseki’s claim cannot be taken as anything worth the while because his allegation is fraught with his usual lies. Obaseki is the first governor to deceive APC, PDP and the Labour Party within a very short period of time. Obaseki cannot blame his ordeal, which his godson, Asue, is facing in his campaigns as more and more members of PDP are leaving on the Legacy Group.
Was it the Legacy Group that made him to fall out with APC and members of the party before he was tossed out? Obaseki should have time for retrospection, at least, as PDP is going into a major election that will make or mar the party in Edo State.
After he was practically driven from APC, and PDP accepted him, how did he treat members who relinquished their party’s platform for him to run as the governor in 2020? He paid every single one of them with a bad coin.
Without mincing words, the greatest challenge Obaseki is facing today, which he wish to hide, is that he has underperformed, not the Legacy Group that are going about their business. Can he force the group to support his stranger-business partner he has forcefully imposed on the party without consultation?
When he was choosing Asue, he did not consult with the stakeholders who are members of the group. He unilaterally brought him allegely using billions to help get the ticket. Again, when it was time for him to nominate the deputy governor, he choose the serving Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Osarodion Ogie. Does this represent justice, equity and fairplay for the members who accepted him to their party and gave him their ticket at the eve of the primary? What about the Director-General of the campaign council? Mathew Iduoriyekemwen was appointed so that the Legacy Group would support Obaseki, the godfather, when they were not factored in the equation.
Today, members of PDP in the state from all towns and villages are leaving the party for other politcal parties because as against all promises, Obaseki did not perform. How do members go to their villages to campaign? What will they campaign with? Bad roads, dilapidated schools, abandoned health centers? What exactly are they going to campaign with.
Just today, a chieftain of the party, Chief Audu Agadaga Ojieabu Mohammed, the Adaghebalu of Uzea Kingdom resigned his membership of the party. As usual, he complained of infrastructural marginalization of his the entire Uzea Kingdom, just as the people of Ewohimi, where Asue hails from are complaining.
Obaseki needs to attend to his demons; the Legacy Group has a right not to support his candidate that will certainly fail on the September election.
