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Tag: Gov Godwin Obaseki

  • Nigerians Want An Alternative To PDP, APC – Obaseki

    Nigerians Want An Alternative To PDP, APC – Obaseki

    The Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, says Nigerians are no longer interested in the two top political parties in the country — Peoples Democratic Party and the All Progressives Party — and are in search of an alternative.

    Obaseki while speaking in an interview with African Independent Television on the just concluded Ekiti governorship election, further revealed that the future of politics in the country was changing.

    In a video snippet posted on the verified Instagram page of the media mogul, Dele Momodu, the Edo governor said, “How can PDP, the party; not win? They were not even number two. So, you can see that something is going on and we do not want this to be a trend. The future of our politics in this country is changing.

    “I do not know whether you are closely watching what is going on; the level of disenchantment within the parties. I am sure in all of our homes now, we have so many people now who call themselves ‘Obidients’.

    “I don’t know whether you have them in your house. Just ask them, ‘which party are you?’, they say ‘Obidients’; you understand. They do not want us; they are not talking about PDP or APC. They are looking for alternatives and they are many. You see all of them queuing for their PVCs now. They are not looking at the direction of PDP or APC now. They are looking for alternatives.

    “If we do not curb this, if we do not make our party attractive, I do not know what will happen in the next elections.”

    Also commenting on the Ekiti election, a chieftain of the party, Tom Ikimi, stated that the party was defeated because of the activities of a former governor of the state, Ayodele Fayose.

    Ikimi said, “I am not afraid to say that our problem in Ekiti has been caused by the activities of our past governor, Ayo Fayose. He ruined the place before he left office. He insisted on putting his candidate with all kinds of struggles, even though we persuaded him to do otherwise.

    “He ended up, on the election day, rolling on the floor and crying but that did not get us anywhere. Put that to rest; the build-up to the choice of the candidate in Ekiti was a big struggle. All kinds of meetings, peace interventions, until we had the heart to push away Segun Oni, who went to SDP that was not known here. The outcome is clear.”

  • ASUU Strike Has Worsened Drug Abuse – Obaseki

    ASUU Strike Has Worsened Drug Abuse – Obaseki

    Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State on Friday in Benin blamed the increasing rate of drug abuse in the state on the lingering Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike.

    Obaseki disclosed this while reviewing the state’s security situation for the months of February, March and April.

    He said Edo recorded 19 drug abuse cases in February, 34 cases in March and 23 cases in April.

    Recall that the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities, NASU, and the National Association of Academic Technologists, NAAT, embarked on strike in February over the failure of the Federal Government to address their concerns.

    “Drug abuse is now the number two issue of concern in our state,” Obaseki said.

    “Our analysis shows that there has been a high rate of consumption of drugs in the last few months.

    “This isn’t unconnected with the ASUU strike which has kept many students at home and idle.’’

    The review came following a joint security meeting between the state government and representatives of various security agencies in Edo.

    “I use the opportunity of this meeting to appeal to ASUU and the Federal Government to do all they can to end this strike as soon as possible,” Obaseki said.

    “This is in the interest of the children so that we don’t keep them at home and destroy their lives.

    “If they aren’t going to school, as you know the idle mind is a devil’s workshop. One way we hope that we can reduce the use of drugs is if we take these children back to school.’’

  • Edo Government to Ban Street Begging

    Edo Government to Ban Street Begging

    The Edo state Governor, Godwin Obaseki, is set to begin the evacuation of street beggers who are not ready to accept meaningful and decent ventures.

    He said this on Monday to the Muslim faithful who were on a courtesy Visit to the Government house in Benin.

    Obaseki stressed that in the next few weeks or months he will no longer allow street begging in the state, that anyone whose children are not in school but on the street begging or trading will be arrested and prosecuted; he said his administration believes that basic education is the right of every child.

    Earlier the Chief Imam
    Of Benin Central mosque, Abdulfatai enabulele commended the governor for his administration developmental strides and urgently called on Mr. Obaseki to urgently take some drastic steps to check street begging and trading in the state, that the act was capable of disturbing the peace of the state.

  • Oshiomhole was right, Obaseki’s DNA is Full of Betrayal, Ungratefulness ― Wike

    Oshiomhole was right, Obaseki’s DNA is Full of Betrayal, Ungratefulness ― Wike

    The Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, on Monday accused Godwin Obaseki of Edo state of betrayal and ungratefulness.

    Describing him as “Serial Betrayal” Wike said ““If you check the DNA of Obaseki, what you will see in that DNA is betrayal, serial betrayal, and ungratefulness”.

    You would recall that the deputy governor of Edo State, Shaibu had appeared on a Channels Television programme where he said he and Obaseki may leave the PDP if the party continues to treat them as outcasts.

    Reacting, Wike described the deputy governor as an “ingrate” and called on the PDP to discipline him.

    Obaseki and Wike are both governors on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and have since been exchanging words following comments made by Shaibu on Channels TV.

    Obaseki who reacted to Wike’s comment on his deputy called on Wike to respect party members no matter who they are, saying that the attack on his deputy is most unfortunate and totally uncalled for.

    In a statement in Benin Monday, Obaseki called on the leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to call Wike to order, saying that the issues raised by his deputy were germane and needed to be resolved in the interest of the party.

    Wike who was not pleased with Obaseki’s response called him a betrayal.

    In his words “If you check the DNA of Obaseki, what you will see in that DNA is betrayal, serial betrayal, and ungratefulness,” he said while addressing a crowd at the commissioning of a secondary school in Omuanwa community, Rivers State.

    “Let me stand today to apologise to Adams Oshiomhole who has been vindicated by telling us that we will see the true colour, the insincerity, the ungratefulness of Governor Obaseki.

    “We have voted for PDP since 1999 till now; ask Governor Obaseki if he has done anything for PDP (or) voted for PDP. The only election he voted was his own election – where we gave him an umbrella.”

    “Let me clearly say without any apology to anybody that one of the problems in this country is leadership – people who cannot stand firm and say: this is white; this is black at all times,” the Rivers governor said.

    “I am not in the class of Obaseki, never! We are not the same, we can’t be the same. I was the DG of his campaign, I went there (to Edo) for three days. I stayed there without having my bath. I have never seen somebody like that in my life – a serial betrayer.

    Wike further warned Obaseki, threatening to smoke him and his cohorts out of the party “Let me tell you Obaseki, I know your cohorts and I will smoke all of you out. This is not the Benin artefact that you were challenging the Oba (of Benin), this is politics. Obaseki, I have more stake in PDP than you. I have fought for this party, mention one thing that you have done for the PDP.”

  • PDP Is Not Your Personal Property, Edo Cannot Be Procured – Obaseki Replies Wike

    PDP Is Not Your Personal Property, Edo Cannot Be Procured – Obaseki Replies Wike

    Governor Godwin Obaseki has said that the recent personal attacks by the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, against his deputy, Philip Shaibu, are unfortunate and totally uncalled for.

    The Edo State Governor expressed his displeasure at the development in a statement on Monday.

    Obaseki said if Wike was one who wants to show respect and courtesy to his colleague-governors, he would have reached out to him to express his concerns about Shaibu’s views, rather than embark on an unwarranted public onslaught.

    The rift between Governor Wike and the Edo State deputy governor stemmed from a comment made by the latter suggesting that many supporters of Obaseki who defected with the governor from All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are not happy and do not feel accepted into the new party.

    Shaibu asked the national leadership of the PDP to “integrate” his supporters and those of his principal into the party, threatening that there are possibilities of an exodus.

    In reaction to these comments, Wike tongue-lashed Shaibu, calling him an ingrate.

    The Rivers State Governor asked the national chairman of the PDP to constitute a disciplinary committee against the deputy governor of Edo State, stressing that if this is not done, he (Wike) will invoke the sanctions of the party and will make sure they must discipline Shaibu.

    Defending his deputy governor, Obaseki in his lengthy statement said Shaibu “was a former National President of the National Association of Nigerian Student (NANS) and his comment is representative of the essence of the nation’s youth population, who are inclined to openly speak up and question the status quo.

    Obaseki wondered how Governor Wike can aspire to lead Nigerian youths if he cannot understand and adequately respond to their style and character.

    “His Excellency, Governor Wike should have taken a cue from the manner in which the National Chairman of our party, Sen. Dr Iyorchia Ayu, responded to my deputy’s remarks, as a conscientious leader who is able to show empathy and consideration,” the Edo Governor stated.

    According to him, the concerns expressed by his deputy governor bordered on pertinent issues affecting the PDP in Edo State which since the September 19th, 2020 elections, has been able to register over 500,000 members; and to date, these new members have not been properly integrated into our party after two years.

    He added also that the leaders, executives, and members who came with him into the PDP have still not been accepted, integrated or harmonized into the party.

    More worrisome for the governor is the fact that old members of Edo PDP, who are open to inclusion and supportive of building a large party are being vilified and ostracized “by a cabal purportedly led by Chief Dan Orbih, who is your perpetual guest in Port Harcourt and is remotely used to orchestrate the destabilization of the party in Edo State.”

    “It is necessary to recall at this point that a political solution gave rise to the emergence of Chief Dan Orbih first as Acting and then as Substantive National Vice Chairman, South-South, of our party, when Chief Emma Odidi resigned that position to allow Chief Orbih to ascend,” Obaseki said.

    “It is, therefore, curious why this type of political solution is no longer tenable to resolve the political impasse in Edo State PDP,” the governor questioned.
    Speaking further on the matter, Obaseki stressed in the comments of Shaibu, the deputy governor at no point threatened the party as Governor Wike has alleged.
    “Rather, it is Governor Wike, who has at different times, threatened the PDP.

    “Some of these instances include:

    “1. On September 16, 2018, Governor Wike threatened the party that there would be grave consequences if it moved the National Convention from Port Harcourt in the run-up to the 2019 presidential election.

    “2. On September 12, 2019, Governor Wike also threatened to cause trouble for the party over the emergence of Hon. Ndudi Elumelu as the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives.”

    He said it cannot be doubted that Governor Wike has contributed to the advancement of the PDP, just like others, since 1999.

    The governor further asserted that no one is against Wike’s desire to run for president. He, however, cautioned that “his ambition should not be embarked on in such a way that it would cause disruption at different levels, such as the PDP Governors’ Forum as well as different chapters of the party across the country.

    “It clearly amounts to the delusion of grandeur, for any one man to nurse the idea that he owns or has more stake in the PDP and everyone should pander to him.

    “We are all equal stakeholders in the party and an aggregate of the ideas, opinions, and contributions of all leaders and members should form the position of the party and not the view of one individual or a select few,” Obaseki maintained.

    He said while Governor Wike is free to use his resources as he deems fit in pursuit of his ambition, he should not attempt to cow, intimidate, cajole and threaten others into doing his bidding.

    “Edo State cannot and will not be procured for anyone’s personal ambition,” Obaseki declared.

    The governor believes that Nigeria needs strong democratic institutions and not strong men.

    “That is why we will join the great leaders of our party across the country to build PDP into a strong, large, and indomitable party that will win next year’s presidential election,” he said.

    “Governor Wike and his collaborators headed by Chief Dan Orbih in Edo State will not succeed in destabilizing the PDP in Edo State as they did other states like Cross River just to secure delegates to actualize his alleged personal ambition to run for the presidency in 2023.”

    Obaseki underscored that in Edo State, the people do not accept political bullies and overlords, adding that historically, the Edo people have demonstrated their capacity to unshackle themselves and dethrone bullies and highhanded leaders.

    He appealed to well-meaning leaders of the PDP to call Governor Wike to order and urge his Rivers State counterpart to desist from his current unguarded and disruptive tendencies.

    The Edo State governor said that from all indications today, PDP is set to take over the leadership of Nigeria provided the party can rein in the self-interest of a few leaders to put the task of rescuing Nigeria above their personal ambitions

  • We Need To Bake A Bigger National Cake – Gov Obaseki

    We Need To Bake A Bigger National Cake – Gov Obaseki

    The Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, on Tuesday said Nigeria needs to increase its revenues in order to address complaints over the sharing formula of federation proceeds.

    The Governor made the comment at the State Government House in Benin-City during a courtesy visit of the Chairman of the Federal Character Commission, Muheeba Dankaka.

    “The issue for us in Nigeria should be how to bake a bigger cake, because the cake we are trying to share has become too small,” the Governor said.

    “So no matter how hard you try to divide that cake and share it, many people will still feel they are not getting their fair share or what is due to them, because whatever they get might just be marginal.”

    Obaseki also noted that the Federal Government is spending too much of the nation’s dwindling resources on recurrent expenditures, including personnel emoluments.

  • 1999 Politics Has Expired, Young People Are Taking Over – Obaseki

    1999 Politics Has Expired, Young People Are Taking Over – Obaseki

    Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki believes Nigeria’s political system has failed the nation.

    According to him, the kind of politics played in 1999 is no longer relevant as young people are set to take over.

    The Governor made the comments during a Peoples Democratic Party stakeholders meeting in Benin-City on Sunday.

    “Nigeria is going to a new stage; there is a new paradigm,” Obaseki said. “The politics we started in 1999 has now expired or is expiring.

    “So anybody who is playing politics the way it was played in 1999 cannot succeed because the children who were five, six years old in 1999, today are now getting married. They are now the ones that are going to be in charge.

    “So if we don’t provide leadership, they will push us aside. They are more than us, I have their data. they are not happy. They did not like what we did to them during #EndSARS. So we don’t have to wait for them to express themselves again.

    “Let us provide leadership. Because as you know, those who make peaceful change impossible, make violent change inevitable. So what you are seeing in insecurity today, in hunger, in the desperation of our people, is the sign of the failure of our political system. And we have to correct it.

    “We have started in Edo and we must continue. The old order can no longer hold. There is a new order. We have a choice, either to shape the new order or the new order will overwhelm us.”

  • I won’t leave PDP for another party no matter the pressure – Obaseki

    I won’t leave PDP for another party no matter the pressure – Obaseki

    Godwin Obaseki, the Edo state governor, says he has no plan to join another political party.

    Obaseki left the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the months leading to the 2020 governorship election in Edo state.

    The governor won his reelection bid on the platform of the PDP.

    Speaking in Benin on Saturday during a banquet to mark the Alaghodaro Summit, the governor said his party affiliation will not alter development plans for the state.

     

    Obaseki said his government is committed to ensuring a progressive and prosperous Edo state.

    He said: “No matter the persuasion to join any political party, I will not. I will continue to provide leadership for all Edo people. We don’t need to join another political party to develop Edo state to become a home for all.

    “Our goal is to position Edo where it should be, as our state has been created to provide leadership for this country; that is how it has been and will always be.”

    The governor said the Alaghodaro Summit is a platform through which his administration will prepare Edo youths for leadership positions.

    “Our politics is being driven by data. We will continue to do our best as a government to make life better for our people who trusted us with their votes,” he said.

    “In the last five years, we have been in the foundation laying stage for the development of Edo state. That era has passed and now, it’s time to move as fast as possible in developing the state as the challenges and barriers have been taken care of.”

    Also speaking, John Oyegun, former national chairman of the APC, praised Obaseki for curbing “irregular migration” in the state.

    “Today, our youths are no longer traveling through the Mediterranean Sea as you have curbed the menace of irregular migration. Our youths are now being prepared for the future with the use of technology,” he said.

    “When Edo prospers, the nation will prosper; our artifacts are all over the world, our achievements are all over; this is what Alaghodaro is all about.”

  • Ize-Iyamu withdraws interest to challenge Obaseki in court

    Ize-Iyamu withdraws interest to challenge Obaseki in court

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) Governorship candidate in the 2020 Edo elections, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, has withdrawn his intentions to challenge Gov Godwin Obaseki in court.

    Ize-Iyamu, in a statement he personally signed on Monday, October 5, said the decision not to contest the outcome was borne out of the desire not to further heat tension in the state.

    He however declared the election was neither free nor fair contrary to reports, alleging there “were several episodes of violence, voter intimidation and falsification of results.”

    He noted, “There were unlawful cancellations of results particularly from Urhonigbe South and North in Orhiomwon while results were falsified from many polling units in Ofunama in Ovia South West, and in parts of Ovia North East, Owan West, Oredo, Egor, Ikpoba-Okha, Esan North East, Esan West, Esan South East, and Uhunmwode Local Government Areas.

    “The gun-wielding thugs took over collation centres in many locations.”

    The former Edo Secretary to the State Government (SSG) also said “there were also several cases of malfunctioning card readers, which disenfranchised duly registered voters in addition to many cases of unregistered voters voting with pre-purchased voters’ cards not collected by their actual owners.”

    “We have decided not to commence an election petition. This is to avoid further tension in the state.

    “We are also mindful that the leadership of our great party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and many well-placed individuals have made pronouncements endorsing the process, which we have chosen to respect.”

     He however said he would continue to pursue two pre-election cases challenging Governor Godwin Obaseki’s eligibility to contest the poll just “as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its flagbearers have continued to pursue several pre-election suits in various courts against us, all totalling 13.

    “Consequently, we have decided to continue with our pre-election cases in full exercise of our legal rights, just as our opponents have considered it their prerogative to also continue with their pre-election cases against us.”

    Recall that Ize-Iyamu had stated that he still has plans to challenge Gov Godwin Obaseki in court.

  • Edo 2020: Ize-Iyamu, Obaseki Sign Peace Pact

    Edo 2020: Ize-Iyamu, Obaseki Sign Peace Pact

    Governorship candidates for the Peoples’ Democractic Party (PDP), Gov Godwin Obaseki of Edo State and Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu of the All Progressive Congress (APC) has signed a peace pact ahead of the September 19, elections.

    The signing organised by the National Peace Committee (NPC) took place on Tuesday in Benin City, the Edo State capital.

    During the programme, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate and incumbent governor, Godwin Obaseki embraced his main rival and contender in the poll, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

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    The duo beaming with smiles warmly hugged each other, an indication that they have decided to toe the line of peace and avoid unnecessary bloodshed in the election.

    On his part, Obaseki promised that he, as a PDP candidate, will live by the letters and spirit of the peace pact.

    In furtherance of the peaceful conduct of the election, Pastor Ize-Iyamu promised that the APC will conduct itself peacefully.