Different Strokes From Edo On Obaseki’s Ban

By Francis Ogbuagu

Ahead of the Saturday decision on Godwin Obaseki’s next decision as concerning his political future, mixed reactions are trailing his disqualification from the All progressives Congress, APC in his Edo State political base.

Anselm Ojezua, the chairman of the APC faction aligned to the governor was quick to dismiss the disqualification as expected saying that the governor never expected justice from the party with Oshiomhole presiding.

Speaking to GWG, he said:

“We saw the disqualification of the governor coming due to the antics of the party leaders. Even when the governor went to submit form and before the screening, he had already made a statement that he will not get justice, we I’ll meet and decided what to do do,” he said.

However, the APC faction aligned to Oshiomhole speaking through its spokesman, Chris Azebamwan, said:

“I want to commend the National chairman of the party for initiating and putting in place a transparent process for the conduct of the primary.

“The screening committee did an excellently brilliant job, they did what we call due diligence because they went beyond the call of duty.

“So, if Obaseki has been disqualified based on discrepancies in his credentials, the only option open to him is to file an appeal with the party’s appeal court and that’s the end of the road for him. It is an internal matter of the party.”

Also speaking in Benin City, Mr. Austine Osaghae, Action Demoractic Party (ADP) candidate in the 2019 state assembly election, commended the leadership of the APC for enthroning transparency in the screening process. doing everything possible to get it right this time around by making the process transparent and credible.

“What made the entire process interesting was because majority of the screening committee came from the academia, a situation no one would say the outcome was doctored.”

According to him, those who carried out the screening were not card carrying members of APC because the Screening Committee chairman is a professor of political science from Nasarawa State University.

Against this backdrop, he enjoined other political parties to emulate the same process adopted by APC so that credible persons would emerge in political leadership.

“The best among us should be the ones to rule us even from the local government level because education is important as it is needed for effective rule.

However, Okharedia Ihimekpen, a public affairs analyst said it amounted to political cowardice on the part of APC leaders in the fight between Obaseki and Oshiomhole which went into a crescendo recently when they began to display their political strength in the court.

“For me, to look for an excuse in whichever guide to disqualify Obaseki is politically vindictiveness. Why was he not disqualified  four years ago when they were in political harmony?

“So to tell the public now or convince them is nothing but political cowardice, ill-feelings and bad blood which today, will bring more sympathy to Obaseki than disdain which the process wants to achieve”, Ihimekpen noted.

In the same vein, Washington Osifo, one of the members-elect yet to be sworn in welcomed the development as in line with democracy.

Noting that the process was credible he said that persons with reputation constituted the screening committee.

“I therefore, give kudos to President Muhammadu Buhari for deepening internal party democracy and always in the vanguard of preaching true internal democracy”, he said.

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