… APC Calls For State Of Emergency, Accuses Obaseki Of Dictatorship

…Call Undemocratic, Treacherous, Full Of Bile – PDP

Joseph Kanjo, Benin

The All Progressives Congress, APC, and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Edo State on Thursday resumed their spats after the former called for a State of Emergency in the state.

The two parties in the state resumed their usual verbal war following a call to President Mohammedu Buhari by chairman of the APC in the state, Col David Imuse (Rtd), that Mr. President should declare a State of Emergency due to what he described as “collapse of governance, one year after the PDP-led government led by Governor Godwin Obaseki assumed office, for a second term of four years.”

Imuse had in a press briefing in Benin said the call became necessary because “Edo State today is under the dictatorship of Mr. Godwin Obaseki who personifies the government, having emasculated the Judiciary, crippled the Legislature and personalized the Executive branch.”

The APC chairman said a state of emergency has become inevitable in Edo State because “Governor Obaseki can no longer secure the lives and properties of Edo citizens, contrary to his oath of office and has mortgaged the future of the state with his penchant for clandestine borrowing and a blantant disregard for the Rule of Law and court orders except those in his favour.”

According to Imuse, “Governor Obaseki though democratically elected is actually functioning as the Sole Administrator of Edo State, and with word as law, “he is the lawmaker, the judge and the prison put together” adding, “Edo is the only state in Nigeria today without a functional Legislature. What is happening with the 10 PDP jokers who gather regularly at Governor Obaseki’s office is comical”.

He said, “What Obaseki is practicing in Edo today is a democratic taboo. And when a taboo in allowed to exist for too long it becomes a tradition. If this taboo is allowed to be exported to other States, using Obaseki as a reference, it will endanger our democratic culture. Edo is in a serious trouble.

“Mr Obaseki’s flagrant abuse of power is not provided for, anywhere in the 1999 Constitution as amended. Meanwhile, this Constitution, which our country, Nigeria is still operating remains the grundnorm. So, we wonder where Mr. Obaseki is deriving his powers from, as there is no section, in the Constitution either, for a Maximum Ruler or Sole Administrator as we presently have in Edo.

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“For almost one-year, Local government administration in Edo state has been thrown into a coma, with the governor’s decision not to conduct elections for Chairmen and Councilors. For a governor who daily interfered with the State’s local government council’s statutory allocations, is it not self-indictment to say that unless he is able to clear the N60billion debt they owe, he cannot conduct LG elections?”

Col Imuse said, “As speak right now, Mr. Obaseki is demolishing the Central Hospital, Benin City with a view to replacing it with a Motor Park. The Government says it has no plans for such demolition two months ago (October) but if you go to Sapele Road by the Hospital this minute, you will see what I am talking about. We know the demolition is imminent and we call on Mr. Obaseki to stop or be ready for the consequences.”

He added, “The only public library in Edo State where children of ordinary Edo men / women go to read to develop themselves has been demolished and the land sold to Obaseki’s cronies to build a Supermarket.”

But in swift reaction to Imuse’s claim, Publicity Secretary of the PDP in the state, Chris Osa Nehikhare, said Imuse’s call for a State of Emergency is not only undemocratic, but “treacherous, full of bile and must be condemned by all.”

Nehikhare, while expressing concern, over the APC Chairman’s call, “credentials of Col Imuse who incidentally is a retired military officer.”

Nehikhare said, “This statement leaves us with no other option but to question the democratic credentials of Col Imuse who incidentally is a retired military officer.

“In the not so distant past, we were made to understand that Colonels in the Nigeria Army  were very influential in the planning and execution of coups! Col Imuse is advised to perish that thought! 

“It’s a shame Edo state is not blessed with a vibrant, visionary and knowledgeable opposition in the form of APC. In a futile attempt to sound knowledgable and because they don’t know, they resort to catchy headlines and empty rhetoric.”

He continues, “Clearly their lack of vision and ignorance are always manifest in their write ups and we will be doing Edo state and her people a disservice if we do not advice Edo people on the worthlessness of the rantings and ramblings of Edo APC. 

“As the public is advised to be wary of APC anti-people rhetoric, the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state is hereby advised to stop making spurious, irresponsible and unsubstantiated claims that betray the bitterness, delusion and angst in them.

“Opposition politics requires intelligence, tact and not childish tantrums!”

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The PDP Publicity Secretary added, “Edo people believe in the vision of Governor Obaseki. Over the last 12 months, he has not only shown capacity in the management of the resources and finances of the state but in the design of a 
master plan that will become a road map to a prosperous future. 

“Governor Godwin Obaseki is already laying the foundation for this 30 years plan with some of the reforms and landmark projects he has embarked upon; from the civil service reforms, to basic education, to health, power, agriculture, fintech, MSMEs, culture, sports and security.
 
“All these infrastructures have been deliberately and carefully put in place to serve as the pillars for the 30 years development and physical plan, which on its own has four key pillars, which are; Governance and sustainable environment, Social Development, Economic Development and Infrastructural Development. 

“I have focused on these enumerated above so APC and it’s gestapo style leadership will know that PDP and Governor Obaseki is not about the next election but the next generation.”