… Oshiomhole had no money when he left NLC to contest – Obaseki
… Says We knew what we did to make him Governor
… Denies picking PDP form
The embattled Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki on Wednesday after submitting his nomination form says the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole should stay clear from the party’s governorship primary slated for June 22.
Six governorship aspirants in the State, gunning for the party’s Governorship ticket have now submitted their forms.
Obaseki said, “I call on Comrade Oshiomhole to recuse himself from the Edo nomination process because he is an interest party. It is against natural justice for a man to be a judge in his own case. So I think the honourable thing to do is to recluse himself and lets have a free process and lets reconcile and build our party.
“On a final note, I am actively pursuing peace, actively pursuing harmony in our party, particularly at home and I believe that there will be peace.”
The governor also denied betraying Oshiomhole who brought him to power in 2016, rather, the governor, said the National Chairman was “a bigger betrayer”.
READ ALSO:
Edo Politics: PDP Speaks On Obaseki’s ‘Defection’
Edo 2020: No Going Back On Direct Primary – Oshiomhole
“In life everybody get helped, everybody get assisted. The person you talked about (Oshiomhole) had no money when he left Labour to contest. We knew what we did to make him Governor. I sacrificed eight years of my life to serve Edo State Probono, I collected no Kobo to serve him (Oshiomhole) in Edo”.
The governor also debunked reports that he has equally obtained the nomination form of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
According to him, “It is very asurd. I am someone that is very exposed. How can I collect form from two parties when we have rulings in past disqualifying people on that. I am a party man to the core. APC is my party because I come from a progressive political family. I believe in the ideals of APC.
“I believe in our President, I believe in what he stands for so I am a party man to the core. I am not an old styled politician. I represent a new direction of politics that is based on facts and truth not lies”.
Other aspirants gunning for the number one seat include Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu who was the first to submit on Monday and former Chairman, Oredo Local Government Area (LGA), Hon. Osaro Obaze.
Others are Dr. Pius Odubu, a former Deputy Governor in the state; Mr. Matthew Iduoriyekemwe, a two-term Majority Leader, Edo State House of Assembly; and former Edo State representative in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and former Minister of State for Works, Mr. Chris Ogiemwonyi.