Ahead of the Sept. 19 Edo Governorship election, the Oba of Benin kingdom, Oba Ewuare II has blamed the Edo State Governor and PDP candidate, Mr. Godwin Obaseki for the lingering Edo political crisis.
The monarch accused the governor of not allowing him intervene or resolve the issues between him(Obaseki) and his estranged benefactor and APC former national chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.
Igbere TV reports that the revered monarch spoke on Wednesday at his palace in Benin City, during a peace meeting between Governor Obaseki and the APC candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, called at the instance of the Oba.
The Oba of Benin who expressed his displeasure over the political tensions and conflicts in Edo state, said the PDP candidate, Governor Obaseki should have allowed him resolve the crisis at the early stage.
“I am not happy about this. When you did not let me resolve the issue between you and your friend, Comrade, before it got to this point. If we had done it that time, we will not be sitting here now. Everything would have been smoother than this.”
At the peace meeting monitored by Igbere TV, the Benin monarch also advised Governor Obaseki to employ foresight in his actions as his tenure was only ephemeral.
“It will be good to look beyond your office because you are not going to be there all the time. You see the elder statesman there, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun? He was once a governor too. He is not there now. So, everybody knows that it is transient. Look at how one day when you are no longer the governor everyone can sit and still give you respect. More respect even.”
The Oba of Benin also took a swipe at a former APC national chairman, Chief Odigie-Oyegun for taking a stand in the fight between Obaseki and Oshiomhole, saying he did not behave as an elder statesman.
Igbere TV recalls that during the course of the issues between Obaseki and his estranged godfather, Oyegun took a stand with the governor, while condemning Oshiomhole in several press statements.
“I don’t like calling him(Oyegun) ‘chief’ because he’s not one of us, I said it before. I said it before in the presence of President Buhari that if he wants to be speaking with one of them(Obaseki or Oshiomhole), he(Oyegun) should come and make proper request.
“…Because he(Oyegun) is an elder statesman. I didn’t expect him to take side with any of these people(Obaseki, Oshiomhole); whether castigating this side, or the other side.
“I expected him(Oyegun) to call both both sides to his house [when the fight started] and admonish them, talk to them to cease fire…..”, the Benin monarch expressed his disappointment.
On the purpose of the meeting, the Benin monarch said it was to appeal to politicians in the state to eschew violence and control their “so-called thugs”. He said he was less concerned about which of the parties was more involved in thuggery.
Meanwhile, the governor’s deputy, Phillip Shaibu, who the Oba had told to call his “boys(thugs)” to order and desist from violence, could be observed rubbing his palms together in apology and deference to the Oba.
At the peace talks, on Wednesday, were representatives of other contesting parties in the state and top leaders of the two leading parties – the PDP and APC – and the candidates’ running mates.
