Now, there is a fierce battle brewing in the Edo State Government House and it is for the soul of the state, the state, the heart beat of the nation.
Governor Godwin Obaseki and his political godfather, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, the immediate past governor the state, are the major gladiators.
Though it is playing out as a cold war, facts have, however, emerged that the whole brouhaha was non unconnected with the question of who has power to constitute a new cabinet and who takes control of the party machinery in the state.
Many factors have combined to cast gloom on the Supremacy of Mr. Obaseki in the fight. For instance, all the major political appointments. So far were made at the camp of ex-Gov. Oshiomhole.
Sources say Obaseki would have loved to appoint his close associates as secretary to the state government and chief of staff, but the two juicy position are already occupied by person who are cronies of the former governor.
City People learnt that the grumbling became louder during the choice of a running mate, when the former governor allegedly imposed Philip Shaibu on the party caucus without consulting anybody even when it was expected that the deputy governor would come from Edo Central Senatorial District.
Sources say that the choice of Philip Shaibu was meant to checkmate Obaseki in the event that he tried to renege on a godfather-godson agreement, possibly entered into by the ex-two dramatis personae. The source further disclosed that the choice of Shaibu was for two reasons. His closeness to the governor and his boldness.
The cold war, it was further learnt , is one of the reasons it is difficult at the moment to appoint members of the state executive council.
City People further learnt that the former governor in the Government House, hence his desire to plant his men as Commissioners. The governor, hoerver, believes that it is his rights, to appoint cabinet members, that he should be allowed to play a major role in choosing Commissioners who are to work with him .
More importantly, there is a case pending at the election tribunal. As it stands no one can tell where the pendulum will swing as the ruling All Progressive Party (APC) is not too comfortable at the tribunal. For this reason, Governor Obaseki has been careful not take Oshiomhole head-on, the reason the former governor continues to dictate to the governor even after leaving office.
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