The crisis between Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki and his
predecessor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, has deepened.
The alleged latest move from the Oshiomhole camp is the plot to
impeach Obaseki.
Oshiomhole, the National Chairman of the All Progressives
Congress (APC), reportedly told some of his loyalists “it is now or
never” in the attempt to remove Obaseki from office.
The move, the governor’s camp, believes may have influenced the
setting up of the 13-man ad-hoc committee by the Femi
Gbajabiamila-led House of Representatives, headed by
AbdulrazakNamdas (APC-Adamawa).
Oshiomhole’s camp is using a multi-pronged approach to actualise
the project.
His camp believes if the governor stays in office till next year
when Edo governorship election holds, “it will be difficult to deny
him APC ticket, whether direct or indirect primary is used to pick
the candidate”.
The camp is said to working on using the National Assembly, some
of his loyalists in the Edo House of Assembly, security agents and
anti-graft agencies.
So far, the anti-graft agencies – the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and
other related offences Commission (ICPC) and the Special Fraud Unit
(SFU) of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) – have gone through the
financial records of the state government “and they are yet to find
anything indicting”.
From the home front, the 12 state lawmakers loyal to Oshiomhole
have moved to Abuja, citing security reasons.
It is believed they are in the nation’s capital to perfect the
impeachment plot.
“The lawmakers are heavily guarded in Abuja,” said a source.
Last Sunday, they signed a letter indicating their intention to
commence impeachment proceedings against Obaseki.
The letter was signed by Edoror Victor Sabor, Saed Aliyu
Oshiomhole, Ojiezelu Osezua Sunday, Vincent Osas Uwadiae, Osifo Osa
Washington, Sunday Aghedo, Okaeben Ewere Christopher, Crosby Eribo,
Okunbor Nosayaba and Ugiagbe Onaiwu Dumez.
The letter titled ‘PRIVATE MEMBER RESOLUTION’ reads: ‘Be it
resolved that this honourable House has no confidence in the
government of His Excellency, Godwin Obaseki, to effectively carry
out the duties of his office throughout the remainder of his tenure
and hereby moves the motion for the immediate impeachment of the
governor based on the following grounds:
1. Sabotaging the activities of the legislature by actively
preventing the legal swearing in of elected members of the State
House of Assembly.
2. Masterminding an attack on elected members of the House of
Assembly.
3. Masterminding the unlawful swearing-in of selected members of
the State Assembly to further his personal agenda without the
knowledge of the grand majority of the members-elect.
4. Acts of severe intimidation, bribery and high-handedness.
5. Gross insubordination towards the All Progressives Congress,
her chairman and the very ideals that make up this great party.
6. Lack of transparency in the awarding of government
contracts.
7. Mismanagement of state funds.
8. Gross incompetence especially in the areas of security, job
creation and rural development.
9. Establishment of state agencies without due consent and
approval from the House of Assembly.
The lawmakers are lodged at the Penthouse Suite of Wells Carlton
Hotel and it is alleged Captain Hosa Okunbor is a major
financier.
The same day, a meeting reportedly held with Oshiomhole
presiding at the Abuja hotel to finalise strategies for the
impeachment.
The plot was the National Assembly would have pronounced the Edo
State House of Assembly unsuitably constituted so that the 12
remaining members would be sworn in in Abuja to commence
impeachment plans.
But the National Assembly only established a committee to
investigate the circumstances leading to the impasse in Edo State,
leading the legislators-in-waiting and their sympathisers to
suspend their impeachment plans temporarily.
Some of the members-elect have been shuttling between Abuja and
Benin with air tickets funded by the sponsors.
At a meeting on July 1 at the residence of an Edo APC member of
the House of Representatives in Abuja, it was resolved that Edo
House of Assembly members-elect from Edo South will be specially
rewarded as leaders of the impeachment drive.
The representative of the caucus of the Edo South
lawmakers-elect was informed at the meeting that arrangements have
been concluded to ensure that their role in the impeachment plan
will be preferentially rewarded far more than what their colleagues
from Edo North and Edo Central senatorial districts would be
paid.
A clear resolution was adopted at the meeting regarding specific
strategic moves and timeline of action for the impeachment
plot.
But, since Oshiomhole doesn’t control majority of the 24-member
House of Assembly, attention has shifted to the House of
Representatives to perfect the plot.
This led to the setting up of the Namdas Committee, after a
motion under matters of urgent national importance by Julius
Ihonvbere (APC-Edo), at plenary on Tuesday.
Ihonvbere, who is close to Oshiomhole, expressed concerns over
the improper inauguration of the 7th Edo State House of Assembly on
June 17.
Ihonvbere prayed the House to take over affairs of the Assembly
as provided by section 11 (4) of the 1999 Constitution.
But Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila mandated the Namdas Committee to
investigate the matter and report back within one week.
The committee members will visit Benin City, the Edo State
capital on Friday to get first-hand information.
It was gathered there is pressure on the committee members from
the Oshiomhole and Obaseki camps to influence the outcome of their
recommendations.
In this wise, some former governors such as Senators Ibikunle
Amosun (Ogun), Rochas Okorocha (Imo) and former Governor Abdulkadir
Yari of ZamfaraState are already talking to federal lawmakers from
their states not to join the ‘Oshiomhole crowd’.
Obaseki is also close to many governors and the governors (APC,
PDP and APGA) are also using their influence to stop the plot “at
the federal level”.
Some members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the All
Progressives Congress (APC) believed to be indisposed to
Oshiomhole’s leadership style are also against the impeachment
move.
Oshiomhole is also said to be facing some challenges from the
Bini, the largest ethnic group in Edo State.
“Governor Obaseki is Bini and everybody in Bini Land is
supporting the governor in this fight. It will be difficult for
anybody to impeach Obaseki now.
“You can even see that some of those lawmakers with Oshiomhole
have moved to the governor’s side.
“The Bini affinity has really depleted the Oshiomhole camp. I
can categorically tell you that we are going to organise a mass
rally on Friday against Oshiomhole,”he said.
The source said that Obaseki’s deputy, Philip Shaibu, “is in a
sort of dilemma because he is loyal to his principal but
Oshiomhole, who brought him to be the deputy governor, is putting
him under pressure to come to his side”.
But, an APC chieftain and one of the conveners of the popular
Edo People’s Movement, Henry Idahagbon, is allegedly mobilising
support for the plot to impeach the governor.
The former Attorney-General and Justice Commissioner of Edo
State declared that Oshiomhole reportedly directed his group to
commence the immediate process of seeking a replacement for
Obaseki.
Idahagbon said that the APC in Edo State was sure to lose the
governorship elections of the state if it presents Obaseki as its
candidate for a second term in the 2020 elections.
He blamed the governor for his intransigence and arrogance in
dealing with loyal party members who fought tirelessly for his
emergence in 2016.
It is, however, believed that some members of the movement are
already backing out of the plot to remove Obaseki.
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