Allegations and counter-allegations are still flying dangerously all over Edo State and beyond over the recent defection of the state governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
A dark controversy has continued to expand ceaselessly over the terms, including the financial cost involved in the recently perfected romance between Obaseki and the national leadership of the PDP.
Already, tongues are wagging in different quarters, alleging that the state governor who was earlier denied participation in his former party’s governorship primary election, may have squeezed his way into the PDP after parting with a mouth watering financial gift.
Governor Obaseki was two weeks ago disqualified from contesting the APC governship primaries over alleged irreconcilable differences in the educational certificates he presented to the screening committee.
But discerning minds believe that the action of the APC screening committee was the climax of the political differences between the now suspended national chairman of the party, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, who is also the immediate past governor of Edo State and Mr. Obaseki.
Thus not a few are of the same opinion that Mr. Obaseki was already disqualified even before appearing before the committee which happily humiliated him and in the process of doing so opened a new vista in the political history of Nigeria.
But in his fighting spirit, Mr. Obaseki fought his way into the PDP to struggle for the governorship ticket of the party and enable him re-contest for the state governorship election scheduled for September 19, 2020. But at what cost?
“PDP is not a Father Christmas to just throw its doors open for a sitting governor that was rejected by his own political party”, queried a staunch member of the PDP, Mr. Ugiagbe Asonmwon-Oriri.
So, some concerned Edo people and indeed, Nigerians are still very busy unravelling the financial cost for the defection of Governor Obaseki from the APC to PDP.
Some people claim it was a whopping sum of nine billion naira. Others say it was eight billion naira while another claims it was six billion naira.
But in all these controversies, the principal actors have maintained sealed lips. A thick wall of secrecy prevented The RELIANCE from getting the highly valuable information from either Governor Godwin Obaseki or the leadership of the PDP.
“My friend, in politics there are no free meals.
You have to work to earn it because nothing goes for nothing. So you go and ask Obaseki how much he gave and also ask Secondus (national chairman of the PDP) how much he collected”, thundered an executive member of the PDP in the state who would not want his name mentioned, when confronted with the issue.
But Owere Imasogie, a respected leader of the PDP in the state, however debunked the rumours that Governor Obaseki induced leaders of the PDP with several billions of Naira, wondering how detractors could effortlessly spin such blatant propaganda.
He noted that what transpired between the party and the governor was mutual, as the sitting governor certainly has his own qualities, selling points and attractions.
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