Tinubu Fingered As Alleged Mastermind Behind Crisis In Edo State

The National Vice Chairman, South-South, of the Peoples Democratic Party, Dan Orbih, says All Progressives Congress chieftain, Bola Tinubu, is behind the political instability rocking the Edo State House of Assembly. 

The chairman, Edo Campaign Council, who was a former PDP chairman in the state, said the people of the state would resist any interference from the former Lagos State governor.

Orbih said this at a Press conference on Saturday in response to allegations made by Tinubu against the PDP candidate in the September 19 election, Governor Godwin Obaseki.

The governorship election is about five weeks away, but the political climate in the state is heating up, with the players engaging in verbal attacks.

Obaseki, who is seeking reelection, will face APC candidate, Osagie Ize-Iyamu.

Ize-Iyamu also has the backings of the President, Major-General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) and Tinubu.

In a statement on Friday, Tinubu said Obaseki committed an impeachable offence by ordering the renovation of the Edo State House of Assembly at such a time as this.

“Although Governor Obaseki’s conduct in the past year is, undoubtedly impeachable, these legislators have made no threat to impeach the governor.

“Their only desire is to peacefully perform the duties asked of them by the constituents who elected them,” Tinubu’s statement partly read.

But Orbih warned Tinubu to desist from interfering in Edo politics.

During the live address on Saturday afternoon monitored by our Correspondent via the PDP social media handles, Orbih accused Tinubu of being a dictator, saying, “I also want to state here that his style of politics in the South-West is not attractive to Edo people.

“It doesn’t make any sense for Asiwaju Bola 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.

“I should expect, as a former governor of Lagos State, he should know better.

“You will recall that at some point during the tenure of Adams Oshiomhole when he was carrying out renovation at the state House of Assembly Complex, the House, after a resolution, relocated to the Old Legislative building at the Government House.

“Of course, if you go round the state, you will observe that the governor has been carrying out renovation works in most of the abandoned buildings.

“In the judiciary, he has done same. Some of the courts were relocated to temporary sites. He has also done same in several other government institutions.

“We can see the external interest in what is going on in Edo State.

“Asiwaju Bola Tinubu did not condemn Adams Oshiomhole when he renovated the state Assembly just as Godwin Obaseki has done now. But he is quick to jump at telling Edo people that what the governor has done amounts to impeachable offences.

“But let me make it clear here that it is now obvious to Edo people that what is going on at the state House of Assembly is influenced by Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

“I want to also say here that Edo State is not Lagos. We’ve been informed that he has since drawn up a list of commissioners that has been handed over to their APC candidate made up of those who are not even from Edo State because that is his style. He has done it in Lagos, he has done it in several other South-Western states.

“Asiwaju cannot draw the political terrain of Edo State with the influence of Adams Oshiomhole and his preferred candidate. Edo people should be allowed to decide their own political destiny.

“We will resist any attempt by those whose style of politics is to influence what happens in states that they don’t come from, influence appointments there and they influence who gets anything in those states.

“Certainly, Edo is not Lagos and we will not allow anybody to dictate to us.”