Politics

Edo: Those Who Defected To PDP With Obaseki Are Almost Herdsmen, Party Chieftain Laments

Published

4 years ago

October 20, 2021

Mr. Charles Idahosa, leader of the political group who defected to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, from the All Progressive Congress, APC, alongside Governor Godwin Obaseki in 2020, has complained about the fate of the defectors, lamenting that they are becoming “political herdsmen.”

Idahosa states this even as the PDP is busy searching for solutions to the crisis bedevilling the party.

The former Commissioner of the state lamented that those of them who followed Obaseki to the PDP had been stranded.

He expressed fear that they could become “political herdsmen roaming from point A to B to C because of some few greedy political lightweight “.

While admitting that the lingering crisis had negative effects on the performance of the governor in his second term, the PDP chieftain noted that the problem started when, the governor’s camp, while looking for a platform for Obaseki to actualise his second term ambition, having been thrown out of the APC, did not take into cognizance, the bad blood in the PDP.

“I concur also with that belief that the topmost delivery that Edo people know H. E. Godwin Obaseki for is missing in his one year second term. But the truth is that, when we were running from scorpions, we didn’t fully know that were bedding with snakes”, Idahosa lamented.

Idahosa, who addressed a press conference in Benin on Wednesday, said that rather than blame Governor Obaseki for the lingering crisis in the Edo PDP, the old members of the party, who resisted all moves to integrate the new entrants, should be held responsible for the crisis.

He asserted that Obaseki had done all he could do to ensure that everyone was accommodated.

Idahosa added that contrary to the belief that Obaseki lacks the quality to live in a peaceful coexistence with political actors, as indicated in the present crisis in the PDP, said that the truth “was that before we joined the PDP in 2020, the party had been divided into factions and it is those old PDP members who are shut out that causing the crisis and not the governor”.

The PDP leader added that Governor Obaseki’s main concern was the integration of those who followed him to the PDP, adding that that was why the governor appointed only 11 commissioners out of the 21 the state normal has, with the hope that the old PDP would allow harmonisation and fill the remaining 10 slots and the remaining 218 other political vacant positions would be shared equitably.

“The NWC of the party should do something. Edo issues would have been resolved like Benue and Sokoto States if not for the in-house crisis that is destabilising Governor Obaseki.

“The man has begged, cajoled, threatened and done all possible things to make PDD harmonies, but for personal gains with 2023 in mind, the old hawks in PDP Edo are resisting, but sooner than later, the right thing will be done”, he assured.

Idahosa explained that the rallying cry was enacted for the political liberation of the Edo people from the shackles of the godfathers, beginning with the late Chief Tony Anenih and in the last election to curtain Adams Oshiomhole, who fought Anenih as a godfather but wanted to play a godfather role.

“Today, every Edo man, particularly the Binis, have a sense of fulfilment that they dared the forces that the Godfather from threw at them I’m the last gubernatorial elections”, Idahosa submitted.

Idahosa therefore called on the governor and all stakeholders” to stop the unnecessary suspension and counter suspension forthwith”.

On that local parlance rallying cry of “Torgba” (it must complete) and “Ogbane” (it is complete) used during the 2020 gubernatorial elections in the state to secure a second term for Governor Obaseki, the political top shot bemoaned a situation where Edo citizens translated that to mean that because they supported the second term bid of the governor, the people could now act with impunity.

“I beg the pardon of religious persons, for us: Torgba and Ogbane are sacred words too, not word to place politics with, as it would amount to rubbishing our struggles.

“Anytime it rains or when wind blows away people’s houses, they will say ‘Torgab, Omagbane nia’ (we want it complete, it has completed), or when people build on flood channel, or right of way and such illegal building is pulled down as if the governor was re-elected to come and pamper their inadequacies or encourage them to flout town planning laws and become recalcitrant and lawless”, he bemoaned.

Politics

Umahi Fires Back At Makinde Over Lagos-Calabar Highway Cost

Published

5 hours ago

October 11, 2025

Editor

The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has fired back at Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, over his recent comments questioning the cost per kilometre of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, insisting that the governor misunderstood the technical details of road construction and cost evaluation.

Speaking during an inspection tour of the Keffi Bridge and the Nasarawa–Toto Road projects, alongside the state governor, Abdullahi Sule, on Saturday, Umahi said the cost of the highway had been carefully computed in line with global engineering standards and should not be reduced to “political soundbites.”

Governor Makinde had queried the minister’s estimated figures on the cost per kilometre of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, which is one of the signature infrastructure projects of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

Makinde, who spoke at an event in a viral video on Friday, said there was no need for the Minister of Works, David Umahi, to be “dancing around the cost” of the project.

He said, “These are elementary questions. And it makes no sense (sic). A process is ongoing, payment has been made, and you are saying, ‘How has this money been utilised?. The money is meant for the project, and it will be paid according to the work done.

Responding to the inspection tour, the former Ebonyi governor described Makinde as “a brother and friend” but said it was improper for him to publicly accuse him of “dancing around” figures.

“I heard that my brother and friend, Governor Makinde of Oyo state, said something about the cost per kilometre. I don’t want to join issues with him. I think he is an engineer, I think he is an electrician, they call it ‘elect-elect’. But this road construction matter, ‘elect-elect no reach there’,” Umahi said.

He continued, “I am his senior both in governance and in engineering practice. So, anything he doesn’t understand, he should call me and ask. I have great respect for him as my friend and brother, but he should withdraw the statement that I’m dancing around. I never danced around. If he insists, he should come for a debate, which is very important.”

Defending the project further, Umahi explained that there was no ambiguity in determining the cost per kilometre, stressing that it must be understood in both estimated and average terms.

“There is no ambiguity in cost per kilometre,” he said. “I am teaching them that cost per kilometre can be divided into estimated cost, which has elements of variance, and average cost, which is definitive. The average cost of a definitive project and the estimated cost are probable elements.”

He explained that the estimated cost includes allowances for contingencies and variation of price, which may not eventually be utilised.

“When the project is completed, and you remove what you didn’t use, such as contingencies and VOP, then you have your actual cost,” he added.

Umahi expressed amusement that some critics had resorted to asking Artificial Intelligence to explain the difference between estimated and average cost, only for the AI’s response to align with his explanation.

“When somebody who is dangling without knowledge goes to ask AI what the difference is between cost per kilometre and average cost, I’m happy that AI told him exactly what I said,” the minister quipped.

He also cited the National Universities Commission’s clarification on who qualifies as a professor, noting that practical experience in the field also counts as expertise.

“I’m happy that the NUC programme on who is a professor also made me right. You can become a professor by the reason of your practice. And I think God has made me one when it comes to practical, field engineering programmes, that’s what it is; you can’t take it back,” Umahi said.

Politics

Enugu Gov Mbah Set to Dump PDP

Published

1 day ago

October 10, 2025

Editor

Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah is set to dump the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, next week.

National Chairman and Deputy National Chairman, South-East, of the APC, Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda and Emma Eneukwu, respectively, broke the news in Abuja on Friday.

The APC national leadership revealed Mbah’s imminent defection to the ruling party while swearing in the newly inaugurated members of the Enugu State caretaker committee, led by former state chairman, Ben Nwoye, at the party’s national headquarters in Abuja.

The governor is expected to announce his defection at an event schedule to hold in the state next week.

Chairman of the newly inaugurated caretaker committee, Nwoye, who confirmed the development, said the governor will join the ruling party alongside all his appointees.

There are speculations that Taraba State Governor, Agbu Kefas, is also set to join APC.

Politics

Makinde Calls Out Umahi Over Coastal Highway Cost Analysis

Published

2 days ago

October 10, 2025

Editor

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has weighed in on the cost of the controversial Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project that was approved by President Bola Tinubu.

Makinde, who spoke at an event in a viral video on Friday, said there was no need for the Minister of Works, David Umahi, to be “dancing around the cost” of the project.

The governor was reacting to a heated exchange that unfolded live on television between Umahi and Arise TV presenter Rufai Oseni on Tuesday.

Oseni had requested the minister to analyse the cost of the project, kilometre by kilometre.

The request didn’t sit well with Umahi, who declared himself “professor” of practice in engineering while elaborating that the costs of the road in kilometres are not the same and would be too complicated for the journalist to understand.

He said, “These are elementary questions. And it makes no sense (sic). A process is ongoing, payment has been made, and you are saying, ‘how has this money been utilised?. The money is meant for the project, and it will be paid according to the work done.

“When a certificate is generated, and it is approved through a process in the Ministry of Works, it will then be given to the funders, who will, in turn, check if the works were done. How can you be asking for cost of kilometre? The prices are different. The next kilometre is different from the next kilometre.

“Keep quiet and stop saying what you don’t know. I’m a professor in this field. You don’t understand anything. I understand engineering very well. You have no knowledge of what you ask. You have no knowledge of what you’re asking.”

Oseni, who also refused to back down, responded, “Minister, it’s alright, keep dignifying yourself, and let the world know who you truly are.”

However, justifying the journalist’s question to the minister, Makinde said, “They asked a minister how much is the coastal road is, and then you (Umahi) are dancing around and going to say that no, the next kilometre is different from the next kilometres. Then what is the average cost?

“When we did the Oyo to Iseyin road then, it was about N9.99 billion, almost N10 billion. About 34 or 35 kilometres, average cost is about N238 million per kilometre.

“But when we did Iseyin to Ogbomoso, that was 76 kilometres, it was about N43 billion, average cost is about N500 million per kilometre. And we had two bridges, one over the Ogun river and then one at Ogbomoso end.”

The PUNCH reports that last year, the Federal Government announced the commencement of construction work on the 700km Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, which spans nine states and includes two spurs leading to the northern states.

Umahi made the announcement during the official handover of the first phase of the project, made up of 47.47 kilometers of dual carriageway, to Hitech Construction Company Limited, and which is to be constructed in concrete pavement.

This was contained in a statement issued by his Special Adviser (Media), Uchenna Orji.

According to him, the Minister who was in company with the Federal Ministry of Works’ Controller in charge of Lagos State, Mrs O. I. Kesha, emphasised the need for all contractors handling Federal Government’s road projects to deliver within a record time, noting that the government would not allow variation arising from delays or slow pace of work once mobilisation had been done.