Prince Kassim Afegbua was the Honourable Commissioner of Information and Orientation during Comrade Adams Oshiomhole’s tenure. He witnessed all the internal intrigues that gave birth to the Obaseki Governorship in 2016 and has therefore condemned the present political impasse that has enveloped the state in recent times. Afegbua, who is now a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in this interview with TEMIDAYO AKINSUYI in Benin City, cautioned the parties to the political crisis. Excerpts:

You have maintained some silence for some time now despite the fact that your state of Edo has remained in political turmoil, why the silence?

Well, there are times in your life when you choose to watch events from the rear before you take a position, especially an informed position that will not make you appear stupid in the eyes of the public or the undiscerning minds. Yes, it is true that I was an insider in the political economy of Edo state that gave birth to the present government under Governor Godwin Obaseki. I have elected to be quiet for a long time because I thought all entreaties that were being put forward will yield the desired result. I made personal effort to the two main actors because they are my friends, but the outcome has not yielded the desired result.

For me, Governor Obaseki has a greater responsibility to reach out to people because he is the one that would be seeking a reelection, and not Comrade Oshiomhole. By virtue of the present position of Oshiomhole, he still functions as the leader and boss of the Governor if you take into account the very important elevated position of the National Chairman of the APC. But those who are profiting from this political impasse would rather wish for a continuation of the political crisis for its pecuniary benefits to them. So, when I spoke to both persons, the National Chairman was willing to sit for dialogue, but the Governor felt he was not going to sit down on any reconciliatory meeting to examine the issues. At some point, Dangote, Fayemi and El-Rufai also intervened, but it ended up in naught.

What do you think in your opinion could be the rationale for this political battle. Is it about re-election, independence or a combination of the two?
You see, there is too much pride and ego in this business of political impasse coruscating the political landscape of Edo state. If you cast your mind back to the campaigns in 2016, you will almost think it was Comrade Oshiomhole that was seeking a third term. In the political economy of Edo state, Godwin Obaseki, as an economic adviser to Comrade Oshiomhole, was largely unknown across the state. Selling him to the electorates was a tall order. Coupled with this was the fact that he had never voted in Edo state. His family, the Obasekis are prominent in the state especially Gaius Obaseki, the former NNPC GMD, and another Oyuiki Obaseki, now late, then there is another DonPedro Obaseki, who enjoys some public space popularity. The current Governor, not being a politician and being one of the Edos in diaspora, was largely unknown.

So, because of his closeness to Oshiomhole through Aliko Dangote and other mutual friends, Oshiomhole fell for his friends to make Obaseki succeed him. How to make that happen became another herculean task, bearing in mind the very strong and popular candidate of the PDP, Pastor Osagie Ize- Iyamu. Oshiomhole deployed all his arsenal into the fray, offended his Deputy, worked against all other aspirants, spear-headed the campaign and ensured that every political appointee delivers his polling unit and by extension his ward to guarantee an Obaseki victory. The candidate on his part had not acquired the nuances of political speech making, so he rarely spoke for three minutes during campaigns. He was stage shy and hadn’t acquired enough footnotes to deliver his message. Patrick Obahiagbon who was Oshiomhole’s Chief of Staff also deployed his oratory to the fullest to be able to withstand the competition posed by the opposition PDP…

(cuts in)…So, what then happened?

I think the point of crisis has to do with the 2019 election primaries of the APC which the state chapter conducted and was cancelled by the National Office of the APC. By virtue of the APC constitution and also PDP, state chapters of parties are not allowed to conduct primaries for the positions being contested except Local Government Election. The Governor didn’t welcome the cancellation. He was therefore livid with anger when he saw the delegation of the national office coming down to Benin City for another primaries. If that was not done, just like Zamfara state, APC would have lost all the contested positions to the opposition PDP in Edo state. Added to this was the complaint by the Governor that Comrade Oshiomhole appoints Edo sons and daughters without consulting him. But from what I could decipher, it appears there are people who are profiting from the impasse and would rather wish the situation persists in order for them to make some cool money in the process. At the point of the primaries, the Governor appeared to have taken a decision to seek independence and be alone.

But there those members of the APC who feel the Governor abandoned them when he became Governor and thus decided to form what is now known as Edo Peoples’ Movement (EPM), How do you react to that?

Yes, before I joined PDP in August of 2018, I witnessed the internal undercurrents of the APC at the inception till August 2018. The complaints started almost immediately when Governor Obaseki was sworn-in. The people he gave appointment to were not in the reckoning of those who worked assiduously for his election. It does appear he wanted to cut a picture of his own man while doing away with those who burnt the proverbial midnight oil to secure his victory. Those people were expectedly angry and felt used by Comrade Oshiomhole who prevailed on them to market Godwin Obaseki.
https://www.independent.ng/those-profiting-from-oshiomhole-obaseki-rift-want-it-to-worsen-afegbua/

Before nko?

Obaseki is just twisting the minds of the public and because a lot of people hate Oshiomole, they are not seeing the real issues here.

Obaseki is the one fighting Oshiomole and feels the urge to disgrace Oshiomole at every turn. Some ex governors are deceiving him.

It's not about those profiting from it. The problem is just that Oshiomhole has a mental issue and must be fighting with someone for him to be stable.
If this fight ends the next week he will pick another one

Abi ooo

912:
It's not about those profiting from it. The problem is just that Oshiomhole has a mental issue and must be fighting with someone for him to be stable.
If this fight ends the next week he will pick another one

The people that work tirelessly for the governor to be elected thought it was business as usual.

But he sideline all the turts and agberu appointing cooperate and professional work force.

People in Benin now hate oshiomohle and APC. On a free and fare election the governor will win.