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Henry Idahagbon: Adams Oshiomhole, Godwin Obaseki’s reconciliation ongoing.
Groups loyal to the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Adams Oshiomhole, and the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, on Monday said the peace move by a foremost businessman, Aliko Dangote, and others was still ongoing.
Dangote, the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan; Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State and the Presidency had last week intervened in the crisis between the former Edo State governor, Oshiomhole, and his successor.
The Edo State APC Chairman, Anslem Ojezua, who is backing Obaseki, told one of our correspondents that he was aware of the peace move, adding that it was still going on.
The Edo APC chairman said, “The meeting is ongoing and I am aware of it, but not as reported. It started long before it was reported and the process is even ongoing. They have met before and are still meeting.”
Also, a former Attorney General to Oshiomole, Henry Idahagbon, said he was aware of the meeting, adding that the former governor’s group was ready for peace.
Idahagbon said although he was not supposed to be part of the meeting, he was aware of it.
“I am in Benin; it happened in Abuja and, am aware of it. I knew it before it was reported. We are not war mongers; we are prepared to abide by whatever they come out with. Hopefully, it will be resolved and we will be one again. This is not a fight to finish; will resolve,” he said.
It was gathered that last Monday, Dangote led Lawan and Fayemi to the Abuja residence of Oshiomhole where they were said to have called for truce between the former governor and his successor.
A source at the meeting, who spoke to newsmen on condition of anonymity on Sunday, said the meeting was a follow up on emissaries that had earlier been sent to both Oshiomhole and Obaseki.
The source added that after the meeting with Oshiomhole, Dangote and Fayemi later met with Obaseki at another location.
Recall that the House of Representatives had asked the governor to do another proclamation of the state House of Assembly, saying the first inauguration done by the governor and a Speaker emerged, was improper.
The national leadership of the APC had also supported the position of the House of Representatives.
The governor, however, said he would not keep quiet on the issue.
He had said, “How can I as governor, conduct an election and someone will cancel it and he goes and throwing all set of people in there; and now wants to use the new people to remove me from office; and you want me to keep quiet?”
Meanwhile, Obaseki on Monday faulted a report that President Muhammadu Buhari had issued a directive that the governor should issue a fresh proclamation for the inauguration of the state House of Assembly.
Obaseki, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Communication, Crusoe Osagie, said Buhari would not do anything that would violate the constitution .
There had been a report that Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, said the President had directed Obaseki to issue a fresh proclamation. But Osagie said the report was false.
He said, “The report is false as there is no presidential directive to the Edo State Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, to issue a fresh proclamation.
“The President Muhammadu Buhari that we know is a law-abiding leader who will not issue directives that contradict the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution.”
Also, the Edo Forum of Patriots, a socio-political group, on Monday urged the two ministerial nominees in the state, Clement Agba and Osagie Ehanire, to restore sanity in Edo politics.
The group, in a congratulatory statement by its chairman, Bright Omokadion, said the ongoing rift in the Edo State House of Assembly could work adversely against “democratic peace.”
Omokadion appealed to the two nominees to use “your influence in resolving the crisis that has engulfed the state as a result of the inauguration of the state Assembly
