THE failed bid to remove All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman Adams Oshiomhole has sparked a war of words between the party’s governorship aspirants in the state and Governor Godwin Obaseki.
The aspirants are Dr Pius Odubu, Saturday Uwalekhue, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, Chris Ogienmwonyi and Maj.-Gen. Charles Airhiavbere (rtd.).
At a news conference in Benin, the state capital, they accused Obaseki of being behind the futile plot to oust Oshiomhole.
Odubu, who addressed reporters on behalf of the others, said: “To Obaseki, his second term is not negotiable. It is more important than the lives of people of Edo State.
“Anyone who dares to stand on his path must be crushed. Edo governor, who ought to be a political leader that unites all members of APC, has become an instrument of division, intimidation, humiliation and political vendetta.
“Obaseki sponsored spurious actions in courts, geared towards the removal of our son, Comrade Oshiomhole, as the National Chairman of APC.
“We thank God that all his attempts ended in futility. To Obaseki, no Edo man qualifies to hold any high position in Nigeria, as far as he remains governor and he is seeking a second term.”
They praised President Muhammadu Buhari and National Leader Asiwaju Bola Tinubu for their roles in saving the party from implosion.
The aspirants asked the “agent provocateurs” to immediately retrace their steps and embrace party supremacy.
They urged aggrieved members to sheathe their swords and utilise the internal dispute resolution mechanism, as stipulated in APC’s constitution.
Obaseki, through his Special Adviser on Media and Communication Strategy, Crusoe Osagie, described Edo APC as factionalised.
He accused Odubu, a former deputy governor and other governorship aspirants on the party’s platform of sabotaging the peace efforts of President Buhari and APC governors, among others.
The governor claimed that “these characters” neither meant well for APC nor Oshiomhole.
Obaseki’s media aide said: “Less than 24 hours after the peace initiative by President Buhari and APC governors in Abuja, Odubu has launched a barrage of attacks on the person of Edo State governor, a situation that jeopardises moves to restore peace to a party that has become severely troubled.
“Odubu has been a known frontline speaker for Comrade Oshiomhole during the crisis that preceded the current peace initiative.
“He (Odubu) is also a frontrunner in the factionalisation of the APC in Edo State, under the supervision of Comrade Oshiomhole.
“They (Edo APC governorship aspirants) will rather continue to stir crisis and disrupt the peace in the state and the party.
We call on the Presidency to take note of this trend, aimed at rubbishing all the efforts by President Buhari and the APC governors to bring peace to the party at all levels.
“We challenge Comrade Oshiomhole to come out to publicly denounce the irresponsible comments (of Edo APC governorship aspirants) if he does not subscribe to them, failure of which proves that he (Oshiomhole) is actively in support of the renewed attacks on Edo governor.”
Also yesterday, the APC State Working Committee (SWC) loyal to Obaseki asked Oshiomhole to put his house in order.
In a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Pastor Joseph Osagiede, the SWC said: “We believe that this (indefinite suspension of yesterday’s National Executive Committee meeting of APC) is a step in the right direction, considering the obvious fact that the party was heading for a possible implosion, in view of the conflicting positions of the various interest groups within the party.
“We express the gratitude of Edo chapter of APC to President Buhari and the Progressive Governors’ Forum for the initiative.
“We hope that all the people that are saddled with the responsibility to resolve issues confronting the party will do so in a manner that will guarantee justice to all the aggrieved parties, such that frayed nerves will be calmed.
“We urge the National Chairman of APC, Comrade Oshiomhole, to take this final opportunity to put his house in order because the problems confronting the party across Nigeria remain real and visible.
“They will require the right attitude and appropriate disposition in dealing with them.”

By Bisi Olaniyi