Bolaji Ogundele, Abuja
The bad blood between Edo Governor Godwin Obaseki and National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole festered on Tuesday with both parties accusing each other of plotting to cause insecurity in the state.
While Obaseki accused Oshiomhole of intending to make the state ungovernable, Oshiomhole told the governor to stop harassing members APC members in Edo for choosing not to support his second term bid.
Oshiomhole at the weekend claimed the governor sponsored thugs to attack his Benin residence, a claim Edo Government declared as untrue.
The APC chairman, according to Obaseki, resorted to the ‘attack scheme’ to give the impression the state was facing security challenges.
Obaseki, who spoke through his Special Adviser on Media, Communication and Public Affairs, Crusoe Osagie, accused his predecessor of breaching protocol when visiting the state.
He alleged his predecessor preferred consorting with thugs instead of the state government and security agencies whenever in town.
The governor maintained he had no knowledge of the alleged attack on the residence of Oshiomhole, stating the report of Commissioner of Police Dan Mallam Muhammed should be paramount more than any other.
Obaseki said: “To the best of my knowledge, no one had access to the house of the National Chairman.
“When he came into the State, we beefed up security around him, from his house to the Oba’s palace from there to the airport before he left for Abuja.
“Oshiomhole has intention of escalating security situation in Edo State as he has said in the past that he was going to make the state ungovernable.
“When he wants to come to the state, he does not inform the governor, the police or the DSS but the thugs.
“As a former governor he ought to be informing the governor and security agencies each time he is coming into the state
“The commissioner of Police has declared the state peaceful but Oshiomhole and his cohorts were bent on making it ungovernable.
“But this I know the governor and security agencies would not allow. Oshiomhole, as a former governor, should undermine the capacity and integrity of the Police unless otherwise he is looking for anarchy in the state.”
But Oshiomhole accused Obaseki of harassing and intimidating APC members, especially youths across the 18 council areas for not backing his second term bid.
He added the governor had become so unpopular that the people’s rejection of him had become obvious.
Oshiomhole, who spoke through his Chief Press Secretary, Simon Ebegbulem, stated Obaseki was the one threatening the peace of Edo.
“Talking about security, it is actually the governor who is making every effort to plunge the state into crisis and bloodshed.
Read Also; Obaseki behind siege to my home, says Oshiomhole
‘’The last Saturday siege at the residence of the national chairman by his thugs was a good example.
‘’Before that incident, state government sponsored thugs had been harassing and intimidating APC members across the 18 LGA because the APC leaders refused to adopt his second term aspiration.
“That is why he has embarked on this brigandage, which Edo people will resist.
“So he should stop blackmailing Oshiomhole and face governance, which is why Edo people voted him into power.
“The governor should stop being jealous of Oshiomhole’s popularity in Edo State. He is a man that is at home with his people, having performed creditably well as governor of Edo State.
“So each time he is around, both men and women gather round him, particularly APC members and of course the youths.
“It is sad that the governor in his usual style to blackmail the APC chairman now refer the hardworking youths of Edo State as thugs, forgetting that these same wonderful youths supported him during his election as governor.”
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