Benin – Gov. Adams Oshiomhole of Edo would play a key role in the decision of who his successor would be, his Special Adviser on Political Matters, Mr Charles Idahosa, has said.
Idahosa, who stated this while fielding questions from newsmen in Benin City on Monday, however, said that the governor had not hidden his intention to hand power to a successor from Edo South.
He denied alleged gang-up against the governor by All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders in Edo South for preferring a successor from the northern part of the state.
He, however, said that the party would consider the agitation of Esan people of Edo Central Senatorial District, who are clamouring to produce the next governor.
While noting that the party’s governorship candidate would emerge from a rancour-free primary, Idahosa said that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would not take over in 2016.
According to him, the governor told us publicly on many occasions that he owes the Binis a lot for the support they gave him and that he will try as much as possible to reciprocate.
‘’But as we speak today, the Esan people are agitating that they are interested in the governorship, and their augment is germane.
‘’They say that they have not done eight years, while other people have done eight years and they are therefore demanding that they should equally be given the opportunity to do eight years.
“Some of their leaders have spoken to me and I said yes, there is no difference between the Bini and the Esan; the advice I have given them is that we are all one.
“In fact, there is no difference between any Edo man; every one of us can trace our origin to the Bini palace; so, what we need to do is to sit down and negotiate.
“As for the Bini’s ganging up against Oshiomhole, it is not correct. I think what the people are saying in consultation with the governor is that they will pick a Bini man that would represent the interest of everybody,’’ he said.
Idahosa insisted that “there is no way that a governor of this state can emerge without Oshiomhole’s input. One, what are we going to campaign with? It is Oshiomhole’s work.
“Secondly, Oshiomhole will lead the campaign and let nobody deceive himself; all the elections we have won in Edo were because of Oshiomhole, his credibility and integrity.
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“The ordinary people believe in him, so he is very important in the whole arrangement.
“There are so many aspirants in the party and we are going to look at all of them and rate the person and there is no way we will not have some people in mind and he, the governor, will also have some people in mind.
“I think that is where this conflict is coming from but if he says this is the way we should go and we have any reservation about that person, we should tell him.
‘’He will give reasons why it should be the other way because as the governor, he has a lot of information that we don’t have,” he said. (NAN)
