Obaseki returns to the trenches, labels Oshiomhole a pathological liar

Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State, has said that the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole must not be taken seriously because he is a pathological liar.

The governor, who has been having a running battle with Oshiomhole, his predecessor in office, over the control of the APC in the state, stated this in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Communication Strategy, Mr. Crusoe Osagie.

According to him, contrary to claims by Oshiomhole, Obaseki did not only win his unit and ward during the last general election, but also polled more votes for President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2019 elections than Oshiomhole did when he was governor during the 2015 elections.

The statement read: “In 2015, when Oshiomhole was governor, he polled 208,469 votes against the Peoples Democratic Party’s 286,869, with a 78,400 deficit. While in 2019, under Obaseki, the APC polled 267,842 votes, the PDP got 275,691 votes, with a marginal loss of 7,849 votes.

“In the House of Representatives, the state had four seats for the APC, against five for the PDP in 2015, while in 2019, under Obaseki, the APC won five seats, against the PDP’s four. In the state House of Assembly, the APC won the entire 24 seats, which never happened under Oshiomhole’s administration.

“It bears repeating that the governor won his unit and ward in the general elections and the marginal losses that the APC suffered in the state were orchestrated by Oshiomhole, who connived with some elements within the party to sabotage the APC, especially in Edo South in an attempt to de-market the governor politically.

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“Chief among the collaborators with Oshiomhole to sabotage the President’s election in Edo South is Gen Charles Airhiavbere, who did not only dislodge the APC’s agents at the polling booths, but also funded the opposition in some units and wards to enable them have an upper hand against the APC.”

Continuing, the statement said: “Another instance where Oshiomhole told a blatant lie, in the full glare of the public, was when Governor Obaseki went to the former governor’s residence in Iyamho during the last Sallah celebration. Oshiomhole told the world that he had no issue with Obaseki and that what people were witnessing was a media construction. This has since turned out to be far from the truth.”

However, Oshiomhole, reacting through his media aide, Simon Onyegbulem, challeneged Obaseki to display his result if he truly won his ward.

Onyegbulem said: “He should show his result if he won his ward. Oshiomhole was able to ride on his integrity to ensure victory for Obaseki. If they said he is lying, it’s shocking because you can go and find out who is the House of Representatives member representing Oredo Federal constituency, where the governor hails from.

“Ogbeide-Ihama is a PDP member. Who is the senator representing the governor, Senator Matthew Urhoghide of the PDP. So who is lying now?

“They are comparing 2015 and 2019, in 2015 they forgot Oshiomhole singlehandedly fought the then President Jonathan, a PDP administration, yet he garnered over 40 per cent votes for Buhari in 2015. And in 2019, he won his entire Edo North senatorial district for Mr President while Obaseki lost his ward, LGA and senatorial district.”

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