Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has directed members of his cabinet and supporters not to respond to any comment made about him or his administration by the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Adams Oshiomhole.
He gave the directive on Monday in response to comments attributed to Oshiomhole in the national dailies condemning his (Obaseki) alleged role in the crisis rocking the state House of Assembly.
Meanwhile, the Edo Peoples Movement, EPM, has described Obaseki’s position as laughable.
The Governor and the EPM made their positions known in separate statements issued in Benin, the Edo State capital on Monday.
Recall that Oshiohmole had said he did not think that it was right to inaugurate the House of Assembly at night and had accused Obaseki of removing the only nominee he recommended for appointment into his cabinet.
In the statement co – signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Communication Strategy, Crusoe Osagie and the Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Mr. Paul Ohonbamu, Obaseki said his decision was in pursuit of peace for the sake of the people of the state.
The statement read in part, “The onslaught against the governor and the government of Edo State, widely publicised, has been trailed by enquiries about the state government’s response to these attacks from various stakeholders, both within and outside the country.
“Consequently, the Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has instructed that no state actor, within the Edo State Government, should make any comment whatsoever, or join issues on the ensuing hostile comments and discussions.”
However the Edo Peoples Movement, in its own statement said Gov. Obaseki’s stance was laughable and lacking tactics.
The statement signed by a co-convener of the Movement, Henry Idahagbon, said: “Obaseki can only fool us once. He cannot fool us again. We are wiser now.
“So, I urge them to go and do the right thing than to think they want to deceive the public that he is a peace maker when in actual fact he is the root cause of the crisis in Edo APC.
“It is also a deceit on the part of the governor to say that he does not want to react because he is pursuing peace.
“What peace is he pursuing when he has yet to issue fresh proclamation for the inauguration of the state Assembly?”
