Edo 2020: 8 Governors Meet Tinubu, Seek His Intervention In Obaseki, Oshiomhole Rift

Eight governors of the All Progressives Congress, have appealed to the National Leader of the APC, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, to weigh in on the imbroglio between Edo state governor, Godwin Obaseki and National chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole.

According to PUNCH newspaper, the governors made the plea to the party leader during a meeting at the state House Marina, Lagos.

PUNCH reports that the governors were at the closed-door meeting to make a case for obaseki and to prevail upon Tinubu to mediate in the perennial political conflict between the embattled governor and his estranged godfather, Oshiomhole.

Governors present at the meeting included the chairman of the Progressives Governors Forum, Abubakar Bagudu (Kebbi), Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano), Babajide Sanwu-Olu (Lagos), Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo), Adeboyega Oyetola (Osun) and Dapo Abiodun (Ogun).

Others are Mohammed Abubakar (Jigawa) and Obaseki.

“The governors met with our national leader, they laid their cards on the table and plainly asked for his intervention.” PUNCH quoted a source who’s familiar with the situation to have said.

“They admitted that mistakes had been made especially with the governor’s refusal to pave the way for the swearing in of 14 elected APC members as members of the state Assembly.

“They also noted that the meeting ought to have held earlier and that the governor who was present at the meeting should have reached out to seek help much earlier before the situation degenerated to the level of a public spat between the governor and the national chairman.

“And being the kind of person, he is, our leader listened patiently and he is not one to rush into judgment before hearing from the other party. He will look at what is in the party’s best interest after consulting widely with other stakeholders before taking a final stand.” The source disclosed.

Following conclusion of the meetings with the former Lagos state governor, Five of the governors, including Obaseki, then proceeded to Abuja, in preparation to a meeting with the President Muhammadu Buhari.

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Direct primary mode had been ratified by the National Working Committee of the party had  for selecting the party’s flagbearer for the forthcoming governorship election in the state.

However, Loyalists of the governor are opposed to the mode arguing that it was meant to scuttle his chances of emerging as the party’s standard bearer.

Obaseki and his estranged political godfather have been at loggerheads over the former’s bid for a second term in office following a perennial battle for the political control of the state.