Why Oshiomhole prefers Obaseki as his successor - Aide

- An aide of Governor Adams Oshiomhole, Charles Idahosa has disclosed that the governor wants Godwin Obaseki to succeed him in office due to the present economic realities in Edo state

- Idahosa  says Obaseki has assisted Oshiomhole on ideas and how to source for funds in the state and that was why the governor sees him as a fitting successor 

Ahead of the September 10 governorship election in Edo state, an aide of Governor Adams Oshiomhole, Charles Idahosa, has said that governance has gone beyond going to Abuja in search of revenue, but now requires one who has what it takes to look inwards for the needed funds to develop the state.

Idahosa, a special adviser to Governor Oshiomhole on politics, who spoke to journalists in Benin while explaining reasons for Oshiomhole's preference for Godwin Obaseki among other aspirants to succeed him in office, said the present economic reality requires a professional economist, not a politician who gives political considerations before carrying out programmes even when those consideration are not realistic.‎

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"It is strange people are talking the way they are talking. They are old in this business of politics to know that there is no way a governor cannot have interest on who succeeds him. You know how the state was before Oshiomhole came in. Even though I was part of that government, we all knew that Edo was dead and was only waiting to be buried before Oshiomhole came to the rescue.

"So whether you like his face or not, Oshiomhole has performed. And he is able to achieve that because of his strong character and his passion for development. These are some of the outstanding qualities that the man to succeed him should possess and that is what the man has seen in Godwin Obaseki.

"So if Oshiomhole comes out today after looking at all the aspirants and say you are the one I support, I don't see how people should raise eyebrows" he said.

While commenting on the alleged plan to change the delegates' list, Idahosa affirmed that "no one can change the delegates list.". He however pointed out that some of the delegates had either defected to other political parties or are dead and would need replacement.

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"The delegates' list is a storm in a tea cup. Funny enough, while some of the aspirants are busy quarreling over the list of delegates, the Obaseki they are criticizing is busy campaigning to all the delegates one on one. No one can change the list of delegates, but we cannot allow some persons who have since defected to PDP to be delegates in an APC primarily election. The party will look into all this to effect changes where necessary," he said.

He explained that amongst all the aspirants jostling to take over from Oshiomhole, only Obaseki has assisted him on ideas and how to source for funds and that was why "I Idahosa believe in him".

On perceived backlash should Obaseki be fielded as candidate of APC, Idahosa said people should not be deceived by what happened in the last National Assembly election where PDP defeated APC to judge what will happen in the 2016 governorship election, adding that the Benins cannot be fooled because they will never forget what Oshiomhole has done to develop the place.

Hon Idahosa who assured that there would be free and fair party primaries, stressed that whoever APC picks as candidate would beat beat the candidate of the PDP hands down adding "the beating of 2012 governorship election will be a child's play".

Commenting ‎on the historic narrative that because Godwin Obaseki's great-grand father betrayed Oba Ovonramwen after the British Invasion of Benin in 1897 and so, the Benins will not vote for him, Idahosa said such argument does not hold water in the sense that about seven members of the same Obaseki family hold Chieftaincy titles as Benin palace Chiefs.

In another development, the Aide-De-Camp (ADC) to Governor Adams Oshiomhole, CSP Ibrahim Abdullahi has reportedly passed away.

According to PM News report, he was said to have died of hemorrhoid, otherwise known as pile in the evening of Wednesday, March 23, in Kano state.

Abdullahi, who hails from Zamfara state and is believed to be in his 40s, had earlier this year undergone surgery in India as a result of the ailment.

His condition allegedly deteriorated soon after his return to Nigeria and he had to seek alternative treatment in Kano state.

Source: Legit.ng