Oshiomhole to Obaseki: My quarrel with you unfortunate

A former national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, has described his rift with Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki as unfortunate.

Obaseki left the APC to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) following his rift with Oshiomhole, his estranged godfather in the build-up to last year’s governorship election in the state. After he decamped to the PDP, Obaseki defeated the candidate of the APC, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, at the poll.

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The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed the certificate forgery suit filed against Obaseki by the APC.

Reacting to the apex court judgement, Oshiomhole in a statement he signed on Monday in Benin, urged Governor Obaseki to be magnanimous in victory.

“Congratulations on your victory at the Supreme Court which has effectively laid to rest all matters arising from the last election,” he said.

Relationship

He said the relationship between him and Obaseki had through the years developed beyond being friends to being brothers of different parents.

“Whatever happened is unfortunate and I believe God has reasons for everything. I have put all behind me and moved on.

“As I have consistently advised, please be magnanimous in victory. You are the governor of all Edo people regardless of political leanings,” Oshiomhole said.

Similarly, the candidate of the APC in the September 19, 2020, governorship election in the state, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, has appealed that the 14 members-elect should be sworn in.

Crisis has been rocking the Edo State House of Assembly since July 2019 when it was inaugurated. At the inception of the parliament, only 10 of the 20 members-elect were inaugurated.

Ize-Iyamu sues for peace

Daily Trust reports that in August last year, the 14 members-elect were inaugurated in an unknown location, creating two parliaments in the state.

But on Monday after his party was defeated at the Supreme Court, Ize-Iyamu sued for peace, stressing the need for the inauguration of the 14 members-elect.

Ize-Iyamu, in a statement in Benin, said the judgement of the apex court has put an end to the series of litigations over last year’s governorship election.

“Now that it is all over, please accept my congratulations. Though the matter is in court, you are in a vantage position to consider an out-of-court settlement of the issue, in the overall interest of our state,” he said.

But the Edo State chapter of PDP has urged Obaseki not to dignify Ize-Iyamu‘s congratulatory letter with a reply.

It said it would have been better and more honourable for Ize-Iyamu to have remained silent.

PDP in a statement signed by its publicity secretary, Chris Nehikhare, said the congratulation was as a result of his defeat at the Supreme Court by Obaseki, noting that the court case was unnecessary and unwarranted.