Edo state governor, Godwin Obaseki has advised the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole to stick to the standard protocol by informing his office, the Commissioner of Police or State Director of the Department of State Service (DSS) for security, while on a visit to the state.
The governor Special Adviser on Media, Communication and Public Affairs, Crusoe Osagie gave the admonition in a statement he issued in Abuja on Tuesday.
There were reports of an alleged attack on Comrade Oshiomhole at the weekend in Benin, the Edo state capital.
The ruling party national publicity secretary, Mallam Lanre Isa-Onilu in a statement issued last Sunday reacted to the “attack” and called for caution.
Checks revealed that the APC national chairman and the state governor have been fingered in the impasse rocking the state assembly.
The Edo State Commissioner of Police, DanMallam Muhammed has since dismissed report of the attack as unfounded.
Governor Obaseki maintained that the APC national chairman who incidentally was his predecessor in office raised a false alarm, as he noted that the report attributed to the Edo State Police Commissioner was paramount.
The governor’s spokesperson said the Commissioner of Police was in the best position to give a report on the attack on the national chairman of APC and the security situation in Edo state and he has done so dispassionately.
He further called on Comrade Oshiomhole to ensure that his supporters did not instigate violence in the state, alleging that the APC national chairman had earlier threatened to make Edo State ungovernable.
His words: “Oshiomhole has the intention of escalating security situation in Edo State as he has said in the past that he was going to make the state ungovernable.
ALSO READ: I’m not living my best life ― Don Jazzy
“When he wants to come to the state, he does not inform the governor, the police or the DSS but the thugs. As a former governor, he ought to be informing the governor and security agencies each time he is coming into the state.
“The Commissioner of Police has declared the state peaceful but Oshiomhole and his cohorts were bent on making it ungovernable. But this l know the governor and security agencies would not allow.
“Oshiomhole as a former governor should undermine the capacity and integrity of the Police unless otherwise, he is looking for anarchy in the state.”
Oshiomhole in his reaction through his media aide, Simon Ebegbulem said Governor Obaseki was bent on tarnishing the image of his predecessor.
He said on no account would the APC chairman furnish the Edo state governor details of his itinerary, accusing the latter of sinister motive.
He said: “Right from Oshiomhole’s days in the labour movement, he has always been on the side of the people, therefore cannot abandon that to please a governor who believes he has a monopoly of knowledge.
“Talking about security, it is actually the governor who is making every effort to plunge the state into crisis and bloodshed. The last Saturday’s siege at the residence of the national chairman by his thugs was a good example. Before that incident, state government-sponsored thugs have been harassing, intimidating APC members across the 18 LGA because the APC leaders refused to adopt his second term aspiration. People are being sacked in their jobs every day in the state.
“And we have it on good authority that the governor intends to create disaffection and crisis in the state APC and probably dump the party for another party. That is why he has embarked on this brigandage which Edo people will resist. So he should stop blackmailing Oshiomhole and face governance which is why Edo people voted him into power.
“We are even more scared now that the governor is making every effort to coerce the national chairman into giving him details of his movement in Edo state. Who knows what he is plotting again. But every evil plot against Oshiomhole will fail. He has not hurt anyone and no man except God can hurt.”
and then