Obaseki: If allowed, Tinubu and Oshiomhole would destroy our democracy

Godwin Obaseki, governor of Edo state, says Adams Oshiomhole and Bola Tinubu constitute a threat to Nigeria’s democracy.

Obaseki fell out with Oshiomhole, former national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in the build-up to the Edo governorship election.

Oshiomhole, who was instrumental in Obaseki’s victory in 2016, became his antagonist.

The former APC national chairman 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.

Speaking on ARISE TV on Tuesday, Obaseki said if nothing is done to clip the wings of Tinubu and Oshiomhole, they will 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”.