SAN FRANCISCO, June 22, (THEWILL) – Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State has rejected his indictment by the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, over the crisis in the State House of Assembly.
Oshiomhole had, on Friday in Abuja, described the circumstances which produced Frank Okiye as the State Speaker as shameful.
Reacting, Obaseki accused his predecessor of showing bias with his view that he (Obaseki) played a role in the emergence of the leadership of the State Assembly.
The governor, in a statement through his Special Adviser on Media and Communication Strategy, Crusoe Osagie, said Oshiomhole “needs to hear from all parties in a matter before taking sides.”
“We read with utter astonishment a statement credited to the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, with respect to Governor Godwin Obaseki’s alleged role in the inauguration of the Edo State House of Assembly,” it read.
“Apart from the fact that he based his conclusion on a totally false and baseless premise, we believe that he could have shown that he does not have a vested interest by simply inquiring from his friend, the governor directly, or any official of the State Working Committee of our party as to what actually transpired.
“Oshiomhole’s failure to satisfy the basic tenets of natural justice, which makes fair hearing from all sides of a matter mandatory, has clearly exposed his bias in this issue.
“For the avoidance of doubt, all the decisions relating to the leadership of the Edo State House of Assembly recently elected by the House were taken by the State Working Committee and leaders of the party from across the state.
“In deference to the rule of party supremacy, which the National Chairman so eloquently professes, the governor and all party members are obliged to respect the party’s decision, as we expect the National Chairman to also do.”
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