Edo 2020: Owan West APC leaders insist on Obaseki

By Osagie Otabor, Bénin

Leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Owan West local government have reiterated their support for the second term bid of Governor Godwin Obaseki and his deputy, Hon Philip Shaibu.

The Owan West APC leaders dismissed report credited to Ward 3 chairman, Raymond Osumah, that all the APC Ward Chairmen in the locality did not endorse Obaseki.

A former lawmaker in the Edo Assembly, Hon Blessing Agbebaku, said only three Ward Chairmen are not in support of the second term ticket of Obaseki.

Agbebaku said all APC leaders are driving the Obaseki/Shaibu project.

His words: “APC Owan West is with Obaseki. I and other leaders are supporting Obaseki. The coming back of Obaseki is a task that must be accomplished. It is sacrosanct.

“Any individual saying rubbish in the papers means nothing to us. In my area, we have good roads, our schools are being renovated so we are with Obaseki based on what he has done.

“Those opposed to the second term of Obaseki are enemies of the government. They should drop their witch craft mind and let the heart of God go into them to see Obaseki project as a sincere project so that we can continue to have more development in our area.”

Chairman Ward two in Owan West, Mr. Aroye Lucky, said the comments by Osumah were wrong as there was no time 11 Ward chairmen asked him to speak to the press on their behalf.

He said: “I saw the report that Owan West did not endorse Obaseki. That is a lie. You do not use one interview to generalise the entire local government. APC is one big family in Owan West.

Read Also: Obaseki remains leader of Edo APC, says Aide

“There was no time 11 Ward Chairman said they did not say we do not endorse Obaseki. I am not part of that report. We are fully in support of Obaseki.”

Chairman of Owan West, Mr. Ilaboya Frank, said the second term of Obaseki was non-negotiable.

Ilaboya said it is a project he is driving in Owan West.

“It is my duty to talk to the party structure and I have been doing that. We the leaders of APC are behind Obaseki.

“I have been having meetings with stakeholders. I invited the Chairmen and they told me there is no problem.

“No sooner had we taken that report the other people started threatening some of them.

“It was Macdonald that called Ward 8 chairman who was not in that meeting to grant interview. This project is we have to drive. I have no apology for calling anybody.

“If one chairman spoke because he was threatened that is their headache. “