How cold war between Oshiomhole, Odubu dividing APC members

By Ehi Ekhator, United Kingdom

The Executive governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole is currently fighting enemies within his political party, NAIJA CENTER NEWS has learnt.

Governor Oshiomhole

The problem of who to succeed the governor in 2016 has been wrecking his administration for months and may lead to mass decamp of members of the All Progressives Congress in the state before the next governorship election.

The deputy governor, Prof. Pius Odubu has shown interest in taking over from his boss, Oshiomhole, a plan that seem not to be going well with the party leadership at the national level as speculation has it that a former President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo may back Prof. Osarhiemen Osunbor

It could be recall that the governor while in the United State in September ordered the sacking of four of his commissioners.

The affected commissioners were Lucky James – Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Afairs; Maigida Blessing – Commissioner for Women Affairs; Patrick Auinede-Commissioner for Basic Education and; Chris Ebare-Commissioner for Energy and Water Resources.

The official reason for the decision was “to strengthen the system towards optimal  performance”. However, the unofficial reason as learned by NAIJA CENTER NEWS was that the four commissioners supported the deputy governor political ambition.

According to Barrister Jefferson Uwoghiren who spoke with NAIJA CENETR NEWS on phone about the drama said “The problem of who succeed governor Oshiomhole as a governor within the APC is bringing the disagreement. The deputy governor is expecting the governor to anoint him to take over from him (the governor). You know in Nigeria, it is difficult for the deputy governor to take over from the incumbent right from Lucky Igbinedion, Ogiadomen and then Oshiomhole and Odubu.

“ I think the governor does not want Odubu to replace him, he has his own reasons. I think the governor have a different agenda. One thing I have reasonable course to be concerned about is that Edo South, the Benin speaking part of the state have just produced a minister in the person of  Dr. Osagie E. Ehanire, I do not also see how the same party would want to produce an Edo South person as their governorship candidate in the next few months. That leaves open the conspiracy theory that there is an arrangement between Danjuma and Olusegun Obasanjo to produce a governorship candidate in Edo Central in the person of Osarhiemen Osunbor.

“I am suspecting that whoever pushed the candidacy of Dr. Ehanire has a different agenda. I think that we should watch out for the role of Obasanjo, Danjuma and Oshiomhole concerning Osarhiemen Osunbor.

“If left for Oshiomhole, he will choose Godwin Obaseki as his replacement. But the politics of Edo State is beyond the governor right now. There are other contending factors and interest that are making it difficult for Oshiomhole to choose who to succeed him. When you find yourself in some political position, you have to negotiate some of your powers away and that includes power to choose your successor.

The political godfather of Edo State who were instrumental in  choosing the minister from Edo State have also taking over Oshiomhole authority to choose his successor and that is not very  funny to his core supporters within the government, and you are going to see a lot of decamp and disappointment in terms of responses.

I have foreseen a situation where Oshiomhole core followers will be disagreeable, turn of event, some will want to resign or leave the government.

Speaking about the four commissioners who were fired by the governor, Uwoghiren said “the official reason for the sacking of those commissioner were that the government is reputing and reorganizing but the unofficial reason was that they were caught supporting Odubu who is not in the good book of the governor, so they were termed disloyal”.

When asked why the Commissioner of Information, Louis Odion resigned two days ago, Uwoghiren said “There was a strategic seminar for permanent secretaries, special advisers and commissioners. Why should it be after that meeting, the commissioner resigned”?

NAIJA CENTER NEWS gathered that Louis odion also resigned due to the same problem of who to succeed the governor. The Edo Central politicians are grumbling that it is unfair for Edo South to occupy the position of a minister and that of the state governor.

The aggrieved members and supporters of Pius Odubu had in October expressed their angers by booing the governor during the burial of the deputy governor’s mother.

Judging from the revelation, there is the believe that APC house will be more divided as the election approaches.

It could be recall that during an interview with NAIJA CENTER NEWS, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress Kenneth Imansuagbon, who is aspiring for the governorship ticket threatened to leave the party if he was not given the ticket to run in 2016.

 

How cold war between Oshiomhole, Odubu dividing APC members