Obaseki meets Buhari, wants truce with Oshiomhole

Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State yesterday visited President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, to formally inform him of his intention to seek reelection for a second term of office.

Obaseki, who told State House journalists after the meeting that he presented his expression of interest form to President Buhari, expressed readiness to seek truce with the National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.

He said it was unfortunate that those opposing his candidacy were operating in Abuja instead of Edo State where the governor said he enjoyed the support of the people to seek the re-election.

Obaseki’s visit came ahead of the governorship primary election scheduled for this month, where the APC candidate would be elected.

He said: “The consensus is that we have done well as a government and that people would like us to continue with the laudable programmes and policies, which we have taken over the last three years.

“So, based on that, we believe that, because of the connection that we have created with our people, we have no doubt in our minds that we will win any election, direct, indirect or general elections in Edo State.

“The problem in Edo is not from within Edo; it's from outside. So, I don't see the person I'm contesting against he's not in Edo; he's in Abuja.”

The governor, who said he enjoyed unanimous support of the APC governors, stated that a performing incumbent governor should be supported to seek re-election.

The governor, who spoke on the response to the Coronavirus pandemic, said over 300,000 of the Edo indigenes had been screened for COVID-19 out of the 500,000-target set by the state government.

Obaseki, while commenting on the killing of the 100-level student of the University of Benin, Uwaila Omozuwa, expressed commitment of the government to ensure that the perpetrators of the “heinous crime” were tracked and brought to justice.