The succession battle in the Edo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has degenerated into a crisis between Governor Adams Oshiomhole and his deputy, Dr Pius Odubu. Can the Oyinlola Committee restore peace to the troubled chapter? OSAGIE OTABOR writes on the burden of reconciliation.
Was there really a crisis in the Edo State All Progressives Congress (APC) that warranted the setting up of the Fact Finding and Reconciliation Committee headed by the former governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola? To Governor Adams Oshiomhole, the crisis was blown out of proportion by those he described as fifth columnists. Some chieftains also saw the setting up of the committee as an attempt to blackmail him and withdraw his support for a governorship aspirant, Godwin Obaseki.
It appears the visit of the reconciliation committee has doused tension among the aspirants. What heightened the tension was the friction between Oshiomhole and his deputy, Dr. Pius Odubu as both of them are not on the same page on who will succeed Oshiomhole. The removal of Hon Victor Edoror as the Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, the bias of some executives of the APC and threats that the party would lose the election to the PDP, if a popular candidate does not win the primary also aggravated the tension.
The crisis worsened when the convoy of Dr. Odubu was attacked at Auchi, the headquarters of Estako West Local Government. Oshiomhole hails from the local government. Oshiomhole alleged that his deputy wanted to use diabolical means to eliminate him. There was also shooting at Sobe community at a time Obaseki was in the area to campaign.
What the Oyinlola committee gathered, according to sources, was different from the picture painted about the APC in Edo, especially as regards the removal of Hon. Edoror as the Speaker. When the committee met with the aspirants at the APC secretariat, it was an opportunity for them to speak out their minds about the proposed primary.
Issues raised by the aspirants included financial inducement of delegates, increased use of thugs by some aspirants, the need to separate party activities from the aprons of the government and easy access to delegates by aspirants. Some aspirants also accused the Chairman of the party, Anselm Ojezua and the Secretary, Chief Osaro Idah of being political appointees of Governor Oshiomhole. They said the APC would do well in the state if it was well-funded.
The Chairman and the Secretary denied the allegations.
The youngest aspirant, 37 year-old Blessing Agbomhere, said all the aspirants pledged their loyalty to the party and demanded for a free and fair primary.
He said they also demanded access to the delegates and requested that Ojezua should take charge of the party and separate governance from party politics.
He said: “I told them the governor should see every aspirant as a brother because we made the party what it is today.”
“I spoke my mind and I was straight to the point. I condemned the Odubu attack and I reported that my bill board was removed at the party secretariat because they said I was criticizing the governor.
An aspirant, Ogiemwonyi, said only a strong party structure would bring peace to the Edo APC.
“The aspirants spoke their mind. You cannot reconcile without talking about the issues underneat. We went as far as talking about the need of separation of powers between the government and the party. We want to have a strong party. We equally addressed inducement of delegates with money, it should be reduced”
“I believe in due process. I believe in the spirit of good governance. We are looking for somebody that has experience.
“My panacea for what will bring peace is we need a strong party that is well funded. A situation where the party can summon the governor like in the days of Awolowo.”
Oshiomhole expressed reservation about the attitude of the national leadership towards the supposed crisis in the state chapter. He said the party leadership has not asked him about problems in the party in the state and noted that informal approach to issues works better than formalised approach.
Oshiomhole, who spoke at a meeting with the committee, wondered why the official language should be ‘reconcile everybody,’ when the most uncouth and vulgar language have been used to describe his person.
He said those beating the drum of war in the APC were defectors from the PDP who want to discredit the APC in Edo.
He said: “The secretariat should check carefully because those making statements always end up with statement that unless the Comrade want to return the state to the PDP. This state cannot return to the PDP.
“We can distinguished between Fifth columnist and genuine APC members. Those fomenting trouble in APC now could not deliver their wards. I deliver my unit, ward, local government and senatorial district.”
“I hope that you are able to tell everybody, assure Abuja that there is no cause for alarm. I will finish stronger than I started.”
“Be assured of my commitment to the party. Be assured of my commitment to democratic values and I will fight this election as if I were a candidate, regardless of who wins.”
The committee also met with the leadership of the House of Assembly behind close doors and the committee was told in clear terms that the change in the house leadership has no connection with the power play between Oshiomhole and his deputy.
The Speaker, Ativie Elisabeth, and other lawmakers narrated how the plan to remove Edoror was plotted and executed without the knowledge of Governor Adams Oshiomhole.
The Speaker said there was no plot to impeach the deputy governor and that the change in the house leadership would further strengthened the party.
At an enlarged stakeholders meeting, Oyinlola warned party members not to work towards finding themselves in opposition political party after the elections
He urged the leadership to resolve their differences.
The former Osun governor noted that the APC won last year’s election because a transparent party primary that saw the emergence of Mohammadu Buhari as the party’s flag bearer.
His words: “My belief until I came was that nobody has done anything that will surpass the achievement of Dr. Ogbemudia. We have a performing governor who has done so much credit to our party, why then do we not want to continue with this trend of achievement by going into the election united and deliver Edo State.”
“It is the only state that is under our control in the Southsouth zone. It is an open secret that governors in the Southsouth have gone to do meeting on how to take Edo. God will not allow that to happen. We have interacted with the aspirants. They came out with what they believe is needed to be done for us to move successfully. All of them are talking about a level-playing ground.”
“We must allow a level-playing ground. That is what is going to happen. God forbid we should not loose election in Edo State. It is not a pleasant thing to be in opposition. That is why I want to plead with our leadership that we must be able to resolve our differences.
“Reports from the state chapter of the party in the last few weeks were not edifying and that the party at the national level was alarmed at the steady erosion of the stability and cohesion earlier seen in Edo.”
“We are here because our party believes darkness must not fall on this state once again. When you came, you gave every man a reason to believe once again in participatory democracy as the best form of government.”
But, an aspirant, Casely Omon-Irabor, told our reporter on phone that the committee came to fan the embers of disunity by praising the achievements of Oshiomhole.
Omon-Irabor said that some stakeholders at the meeting were invited to insult some aspirants present at the meeting.
He said: “The committee came here to sell Oshiomhole. They were praising Oshiomhole. Some people were brought in to insult everybody.”
Ojezua, said the committee found out that things were not as bad in the party as it was being reported in the press.
He said what they found were symptoms of electioneering campaigns.
His words: “We cannot afford to loose this election. The governor has done very well and the party will rely on the governor’s achievements during campaigns. People must be very careful with the way they speak about the governor”.
A close ally of Dr. Odubu said the committee was able to calm some nerve and peaceful atmosphere within the party.
