Edo poll: Obaseki, Oshiomhole’s men still at war over attack on convoy

AIDES of Governor Godwin Obaseki and Comrade Adams Oshiomhole engaged in war of words yesterday as security operatives foiled an attack on Obaseki’s convoy in Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State.

A statement by Obaseki’s Special Adviser on Media and Communication Strategy, Crusoe Osagie said the incident occurred in Ward 10, Apana, where Oshiomhole hails from and that the thugs who he said were allegedly hired thugs were reportedly dislodged by a combined team of security personnel and vigilante groups, who repelled their gunshots. He said the state Deputy Governor, Comrade Philip Shaibu, gave them a hot chase.

However, an aide to Oshiomhole, Victor Oshioke, who hails from Apana, debunked the allegations saying the said gunmen were sponsored by Shaibu and that the vehicle they used was in the convoy of the governor.

Osagie said the pandemonium caused by the gunshots and the hurling of stones stalled the governor’s convoy temporarily before the Ward-to-Ward campaign train berthed at Adams Oshiomhole’s corridor at Apana Market Square in Ward 10. Addressing members of PDP and supporters at Apana Village Square, Obaseki recalled several alleged attempts  to scuttle his re-election efforts through violent means.

He said: “As we were coming here (Village Square in Apana), you heard what happened. They went to hire thugs and began to shoot to prevent us from coming here. On September 19, 2020, use your Permanent Voter Card (PVC) to ‘pepper them’. “Ward 10 is a special ward. This election is special. It will show who is in charge of politics in Edo State. READ ALSO: INEC speaks on conduct of Edo governorship primaries, court orders Oshioke told Vanguard on phone, last night:

“The attackers were actually in the governor’s convoy, they drove ahead of the governor’s convoy from Ayoguiri and when they got to the village they started by destroying the bill boards I mounted , the one mounted by Chief Lucky James, that of Nick Sedi and that of Jerome Adegboyega. Then they started shooting around, people ran away into the bushes and the governor ended up addressing members of his entourage because the villagers ran away.  They destroyed a vehicle belonging to Wilson Idaewor. People have just started coming back to the community and we are going to make a formal complaint to the police. We ensured that our people did not retaliate so that it will not be reported that Obaseki was attacked in Oshiomhole’s ward, which we know was their intention.”  Vanguard