Oshiomhole denies plotting ‘Ambode’ treatment for Obaseki

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has for the umpteenth time denied having any rift with his successor, the Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki.

The former labour leader who was pointing the way out of the challenges in the Edo State chapter of the All Progressive Congress (APC) while fielding questions from journalists in Abuja on Saturday, however warned Obaseki that he would need a miracle to win a second term in office under a fragmented APC.

Oshiomhole also denied the view held in some quarters that there is a plot to give the ‘Ambode treatment’ to Obaseki, stating that he would not gain anything if the incumbent is not re-elected for a second term.

When asked that Obaseki had been told that he is going to be given the ‘Ambode treatment’, Oshiomhole replied saying; “Who told him that? What will I gain if Godwin does not run a second term, is Oshiomhole going to run a second term? If I did what I did, whether he acknowledged it or not, but people know what I did to support him to be, what comfort will I have if he is terminated half way? What is Ambode treatment? But let me tell you, Ambode treatment is not the worst treatment we have seen in the APC.

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“What about M. Abubakar’s treatment in Bauchi. He won his primary, as a sitting governor, he lost the election. What about Adamawa State? Because of internal fighting the sitting governor lost. Although we are hopeful in both cases that the court will give us victory because we think we won the elections. So, the point to me is that tickets are not the issue in politics.

“I think the real issue in Edo State is what anyone that loves the governor (Obaseki) should do what we tried to do, what those governors tried to do by reminding him that a divided house cannot stand. And the house remains divided if we do not make conscious effort to bring everybody together. So, what I am doing is to encourage him and all our leaders to have an all-inclusive meeting of all APC leaders. Lock the door, speak truth to ourselves.

“What is simply happening is that there are people who think that their access to bread and butter will end if there is peace and so they encourage the governor wrongly. I have had meetings before where I urged the governor to carry people along. Whether you like it or not, if there is one business where one tree cannot make a forest, it is politics,” he added.

Oshiomhole’s comments came weeks after he denied an alleged plot to impeach Obaseki reacting to a claim by Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Frank Okiye that he was making plans to impeach Obaseki with the aid of lawmakers loyal to him.

While describing the allegation as nonsense, Oshiomhole insisted that Okiye was not the speaker, and that he would not close his eyes to ‘illegal decisions and actions’ capable of derailing the nation’s democracy.

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