FLASHBACK: Oshiomhole once wanted building named after Obaseki for ‘selfless service’

Adams Oshiomhole, national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), once said Godwin Obaseki, governor of Edo, worked for the state using his brain and creativity.

Oshiomhole, who praised the governor during the governorship campaign of 2016, said a building at the government house should be named after Obaseki for his selfless service.

Oshiomhole said while he was governor of Edo, Obaseki helped him build the economy team of the state with his network.

“I know my limit. He knows his limit. Godwin Obaseki has worked for seven and half years for the people of Edo state, using his brain, creativity, quietly, not making noise,” Oshiomhole said.

“He sits in the office of the economic team which he built using his network of friends inside the heart of government house without demanding one naira.

“A man like that who will not ask me to give him contracts, but will promise me, comrade, you just do the thinking, we will create the means to actualise your thoughts. And to his credit today, check the books of Edo state, we did not build new structures in government house with government money. That economic team office was built through Godwin’s network. Today, it remains a permanent asset of the state government.

“I want us to be calling that building Godwin Obaseki building. I don’t see your opponent Ize-Iyamu being able to say that. In 2007, check the records, Ize-Iyamu was hiding from EFCC. He didn’t not vote. How can somebody who didn’t vote claim that he made me.

“If you have to look at Godwin and his credentials and you look at a man whose only work, by his CV, was a student and rusticated for two years, he read law but he is not a barrister. That is his foundation. I never gave him government job. Lucky Igbinedion’s mother was reported to have slapped Ize-Iyamu for misleading her son. He tried it with me, but we kept him away. Nothing near government circle. No access to public funds.

“Look at the road to his house, in our books, was dual carriage way. They took the money, constructed the road to his house and stopped. Although we have liquidated the godfathers politically, the entire political family will be liquidated.”

Oshiomhole is currently backing Osagie Ize-Iyamu, former candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state and Obaseki’s opponent, as the APC candidate for the September 19 governorship election.

On Friday, the APC screening committee disqualified Obaseki from the June 22 primary election.