Edo 2020: APC Aspirants Dare Obaseki On Rallies
BY VICTOR OSOWOCHI – With the heightening political temperature and intrigues ahead of the Edo State gubernatorial primaries, actors and aspirants are not leaving anything to chance in strategising for their electoral victories.
Taking centre stage of political hustling in the South South State are governorship aspirants on the platform of ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) who are daily digging deep in their trenches in readiness to battle for the soul of Edo State.
And amidst the spontaneous jubilation in Governor Godwin Obaseki’s camp over the FCT High Court ordered suspension of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole as APC National Chairman, some governorship aspirants In the party have vowed to give the State Chief Executive a good run for his money
In a manner demonstrating their resolve that Obaseki must have sleepless night over his second term ambition, the aspirants insist no amount of official threat, blackmail and desperation from Edo Government house will derail or stop their aspirations
They have therefore resolve to commence holding political rallies in defiance of the Governor’s current ban on political rallies in the State citing serious security concerns
According to the aspirants numbering five, Dr Pius Odubu, General Charles Airhiavbere, Engineer Chris Ogiemwonyi, Saturday Uwulekhue and Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, Governor Obaseki cannot hide under the cloak of insecurity to confer political advantage on himself ahead of the gubernatorial primaries in the State.
They spoke through Pastor Ize-Iyamu at a press briefing in Bénin City, noting that Governor Obaseki is the first offender in violating the ban he placed on political rallies and activities
Wondering how the Governor Obaseki would be All Progressives Congress (APC rallies and then stopped others from doing same, Pastor Ize-Iyamu, also questioned his powers to ban rallies in the state.
The aspirants said they all are ready and waiting to be put in jail by the Governor and his paid agents over what they described as an illegal action..
“We need to make him know that in a civilian dispensation, there are rules, procedures so we don’t understand where he got the authority to ban rallies.
“In the past one week, the governor has flouted that decree. He has held a rally at Irrua, he has held a rally at Auchi only yesterday he held a rally at Urokpota Hall in Benin.
“The governor cannot be doing rallies and tell us that we cannot hold rallies so we want to put him on notice that we will begin to hold rallies and we are waiting for him as the emperor of Edo state to put us to jail”, the aspirants vowed.
On the court ordered suspension of Comrade Oshiomhole, Pastor Ize-Iyamu said it was ridiculous for only three Ward executives to sign the letter that purported to have suspended Oshiomhole from the party.
Pastor Ize-Iyamu said only the National Working Committee (NWC) and the National Executive Committee (NEC) are empowered to remove a National chairman of a political party from office.
The former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the 2015 Edo State governorship poll described the jubilation that greeted the court’s ruling as shameful, adding that the removal of Oshiomhole as APC National Chairman can never guarantee a second term ticket for Obaseki.
For the aspirants, “Oshiomhole is an asset to this party both in this state and the nation. We will resist any attempt for anybody to rubbish Oshiomhole.”
“Nobody should change the nomenclature that Oshiomhole is not popular at home”, they warned
