The Edo State chapter of the people’s Democratic Party (PDP) at the weekend called on the national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former governor of Lagos State, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to leave Edo State alone and concentrate on his “epileptic presidential ambition”.
Dan Orbih, the South-South zonal chairman and Edo State PDP governorship campaign council chairman, made the call at a press briefing at the party’s campaign secretariat in Benin City.
Orbih reacted to a statement credited to the former governor of Lagos State, where he reportedly said that the state governor, Godwin Obaseki, committed impeachable offence for not swearing in 14 members-elect of the state since June 17, 2019.
Meanwhile, the deputy governor of the state, Philip Shaibu, raised the alarm that some PDP members’ names have been given to thugs for assassination, saying the security agents have been duly informed about it.
Shaibu said it became imperative to notify the citizens of the state and the entire world of what the state is going through at the moment.
Orbih in his briefing noted that APC national leader was not abreast with the happening in the state.
He opined that only 10 members-elect are legally lawmakers in the state House of Assembly and not 24 members.
“I am sure you are already abreast of the happening in the state in the past 72 hours. But of particular interest is the statement released by Ahmed Bola Tinubu yesterday, accusing the governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, of committing impeachable offences,” Orbi said.
“I want to use this opportunity to call on Ahmed Tinubu to leave Edo State alone to take their destinies into their own hands. Governor Obaseki is not a dictator. In actual fact, if you want to look at the politics of Southwest Nigeria, the only person that can be rightly referred to as dictator is Ahmed Tinubu.
“I also want to state here that his style of politics in the Southwest is not attractive to Edo people. It doesn’t make any sense for Tinubu to sit down in the comfort of his home drawing up grounds for impeachment for the elected governor of Edo State.
“Reading through his statement, I have come to the conclusion that certainly he is not aware of the issues concerning the unfortunate incident at the state House of Assembly.
“It is proper to state here that we only have 10 members in the House today who are legally representing their various constituencies. I expect as a former governor of Lagos State he should have known better that once a proclamation letter is issued by a governor of a state the law does not allow him to make a second proclamation letter.
“The governor made the proclamation on June 17, and after the proclamation only 10 members came to take oath of office, but the other 14 members stayed away from participating in the activities of the House.
“The constitution is very clear. Even those who submitted themselves for inauguration, if they decide to stay away from participating in the activities of the House for a minimum of 180 days, their seats will be declared vacant talk less of those who did not submit themselves for inauguration. At best those people were elected and were never sworn in as members of the House,” he said.
Orbih vowed that the people of the state and PDP will resist any attempt by foreigners to dictate what happens in Edo State.
He urged the people of the state not to be deterred by the antics of politicians that do not wish the people well.
