Comrade Oregbe Omorodion, is a perfect unionist and human rights activist based in Benin City, Edo State. He is also an ardent supporter of Governor Godwin Obaseki. He spoke with Sir Ralph Okhiria, on the governorship election scheduled for September 19, in the state.
Happy reading:
As a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and a staunch supporter of governor Obaseki, what is your take on the governorship election?
We are ready for the election. But I have a very big worry. My worry is Oshiomhole and my question are ‘is he contesting? What position is he contesting for? Is he contesting for third term? Under what political party?’ I don’t know how to reason his behaviour. He is not the first ex-governor we have in Edo state. He’s not the second. We have other ex-governors but they are not behaving the way he is behaving. The tension we have in this state is caused by him out of desperation; so I don’t really understand. The federal government should please call him to order and advise him. By law he is not even a member of any political party as his suspension has not been lifted. He is only assuming that only seven excos members cannot suspend him. That was the initial assumption he was having but the Court of Appeal said ‘no, you are under suspension’. Based on that, the APC NEC dissolved the National Working Committee headed by him. So which party is he in now that he is giving tension, sleepless nights to Edo people?
In a previous interview, you said one hundred Oshiomholes put together cannot defeat Obaseki. Do you still stand by that in view of the fact that Comrade Oshiomhole is fully on the side of Pastor Ize-Iyamu and you are now worried over his political activities?
I’m not bothered about his activities but only worried because he is creating tension in the state. He said he sold bad market to us. The buyer or the seller, who should be complaining? We, the buyers are not complaining, we are comfortable with the Obaseki he sold to us. Look at the whole thing now, the whole world is campaigning for Obaseki. Look at the internet, look everywhere. People are contributing money. If you go into town now, you will see several posters erected everywhere. The names of the intiators are there for everyone to see. Obaseki never sponsored those things. People sponsored them for him because they want him back. APC has nothing to tell us, talking about ‘simple agenda’. Ize-Iyamu can write anything but nobody is interested. You said something four years ago, now you are saying you didn’t mean what you said. Can we now trust you that what you told us before is a lie and that what you telling us now is true? The answer is capital ‘NO’.
About two weeks ago, the youths of PDP and those of the APC clashed in front of the Oba’s palace and some people were injured and only last week an attempt was made to forcefully take over the House of Assembly at Ring road. It appears that violence is gradually being introduced in our polity. What do you think is causing the problem and what is the way out of it?
You see Oshiomhole was out of Edo state for about a month and three weeks and there was no issue like this. It was when he came back and made the statement ‘I have come back to take over Edo state’, that was when you started seeing all these problems here and there. He’s the originator and the initiator. All these troubles, he’s the one that formulating them because he likes troubles. Oshiomhole cannot sleep a day without involving himself with trouble. He’s always happy confusing people, telling lies here and there. Why I’m happy is because they made the first attempt and they saw the preparedness of the people. The second one, they saw it too. Edo people have spoken. Four plus four is not negotiable. We are ready to support Obaseki to the end.
There are people in the ranks of the PDP who are afraid of the so-called ‘federal might’. They are worried that the federal might will upstage the popularity and electoral fortunes of Governor Obaseki. Please what is your take on this?
I don’t believe that at all because they tried it with the House of Assembly, did it work? It didn’t work. All these people, Ganduje and co, they will come to campaign. After campaigning they will go and the Edo people will decide Who they wants as their governor. They are not registered in Edo, they don’t vote here so what are they coming to tell us? And nobody is believing them because of Oshiomhole. That was the biggest mistake APC made. They should have told him to stay off their campaign because the man you spoiled yesterday you are now coming to rebrand him. Who would believe you? So federal might or no federal might, nobody is afraid. Anyone that says so is just looking for something to say. Federal might was there in 2015. Buhari was not in power but Oshiomhole was in power. Buhari lost here (Edo State). In 2019, Buhari was the sitting President but he still lost here. Urhoghide was in the opposition yet he still won here. He defeated Samson Osagie, Igodomigodo, all these people that are making noise now. So what is federal might coming to do here? Election is rigged from polling unit and not from the top. We are going to police our votes from the polling units.
You have spoken a lot about Comrade Oshiomhole. But if he was supporting Governor Obaseki instead, would you have held on to your opinion that he is a troublemaker and the person disturbing the peace of Edo state?
You see, there is the extent you can go that people will say ‘ah, you are chewing food for someone and still swallowing it ‘ Why don’t you allow the person chew the food himself? Oshiomhole is doing much. Why he’s so desperate is because he has done so much damage to Ize-Iyamu in 2016 and now he is trying so hard to rebrand him. He can’t. Nobody is going to buy Ize-Iyamu because we know him and what he said about him is coming to pass now. You said EFCC was waiting for him, now he’s involved in an EFCC case in court. So if you say ‘what I said four years ago is a lie’, is the EFCC case a lie?
So what is your advice generally to both the politicians and electorate?
My advice is that Oshiomhole should take it calmly. Obaseki does not even deserve what he is passing through right now. Before they started this problem of we are not going to give him ticket, Obaseki had never indicated interest in getting a second term. They are the ones who pushed him to contest. They should take it calmly and let the people decide. They have spoken and it is very clear. You can see it in the streets, in the market places. Even in the commercial buses, open your mouth and say you want to talk about Ize-Iyamu, nobody wants to hear because they are fed up. He mislead Governor Lucky Igbinedion. Why didn’t he use the simple agenda to support Igbinedion? Was it not his time that there were several evil stories? So we want to play it calmly so there will be peace. I know by the grace of God, that day there will be peace. For the electorate, I would advise them to be law abiding. They should vote enmasse for Obaseki for progress and prosperity to continue in our dear state.
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