Obaseki, Shaibu receive certificates of return

THE Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, and his deputy, Phillip Shaibu, on Tuesday, received their certificates of return from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

INEC’s National Commissioner, in charge of Edo, Rivers, and Bayelsa, Mrs May Agbmuche-Mbu made the presentation on Tuesday at the INEC office in Aduwawa, Benin City, the Edo State capital.

She commended stakeholders particularly the security agencies for their role in the smooth conduct of the governorship poll.

“I hereby certify that Godwin Nogheghase Obaseki of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been elected to the office of governor of Edo State of the Federal Republic of Nigeria at the election held on the 19th of September 2020,” Agbmuche-Mbu said while presenting the certificate to Obaseki.

Governor Obaseki was returned elected by INEC after polling the highest number of votes in the keenly-contested election conducted on Saturday, September 19.

INEC Returning Officer for the poll, Professor Akpofure Rem-Rukeh, declared the governor as the winner on Sunday at the office of the electoral umpire in Benin City, which doubled as the final collation centre.

The governor secured 307,955 of the total votes, 84,336 more votes than his closest rival Ize-Iyamu, who got 223, 619 votes.

You don’t have to be a fox to be a politician, says Obaseki

MEANWHILE Obaseki says politicians do not have to be wily to be at the top of their game.

Obaseki made this statement while speaking on AriseTv today, Tuesday.

The interview, a tell-all one, would be his first on a mainstream television since his re-election as governor of Edo State on Saturday.

Recall that the rosy relationship between Obaseki and Adams Oshiomhole, former national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), turned sour midway into Obaseki’s tenure.  Following the fall-out, Oshiomhole, who was instrumental in Obaseki’s victory in 2016, became his antagonist.

Obaseki was eventually disqualified by the screening committee of the APC over a “defective” certificate.  The development made the governor defect to the rival People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to pursue his second term ambition.

Oshiomhole threw his weight behind Osagie Ize-Iyamu, his party’s candidate, who was Obaseki’s major rival in 2016.

A few days to the election, Tinubu, national leader of the APC, did a TV broadcast asking the people of Edo to vote out Obaseki on the grounds that he is a dictator

But Obaseki won the poll, beating Ize-Iyamu with a clear margin of 84,336 votes.

In the Television interview which focused on his victory and sundry political issues, Obaseki said Oshiomhole and Tinubu constitute a threat to Nigeria’s democracy.

If nothing is done to clip the wings of the two former governors and chieftains of the APC, Obaseki said they could destroy the country’s democracy.

“The challenge with people like Oshiomhole and Ahmed Tinubu is that if they do not accept and change their style and attitude, they pose a big danger to our democracy because they are extra-constitutional players,” Obaseki said.

“They constituted themselves into what they say they are without any constitutional responsibilities and try to overlord themselves over people who have constitutional authority and; if we allow them to continue it will destroy our democracy.”

Obaseki also said his statement was personal, but “it is about their role in our democracy.”

Responding to the question on his relationship with his deputy, Phillip Shuaibu and other political supporters, Obaseki said he and his deputy share the same values.

He said, “I share the same values with my deputy. We both believe in using our positions to develop the state and better the lots of our people. You don’t have to be a fox to be a politician. You could be a normal man. You could be an ordinary man.”