Dan Orbih, the National Vice Chairman (South-South) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has alleged that Bola Tinubu, the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), instigated the crisis currently rocking the Edo State House of Assembly.
Orbih, a former PDP chairman in the state, said this at a press conference in Benin City, the Edo State capital, on Saturday in reaction to comments made by Tinubu.
Tinubu, a former Lagos State governor, had in a statement on Friday described Governor Obaseki as a tyrant, claiming that his action of not inaugurating 14 elected members of the state House of Assembly was responsible for the political instability in the state legislature.
He added that Obaseki committed an impeachable offence by ordering the renovation of the Edo State House of Assembly at such a time as this.
But reacting, Orbih, who is also the Chairman of the Edo Campaign Council for the forthcoming governorship election, said Tinubu is behind the crisis grappling the Assembly.
The PDP chieftain lamented that it is unfortunate that Tinubu as a former state governor is unduly interfering in another state’s politics.
Orbih said: “It doesn’t make any sense for Asiwaju Bola Tinubu to sit down in the comfort of his home, drawing up grounds for impeachment for the elected governor of Edo State.
“Reading through his statement, I have come to the conclusion that certainly, he is not aware of the issues concerning the unfortunate incident at the state House of Assembly.
“I should expect, as a former governor of Lagos State, he should know better.
“You will recall that at some point during the tenure of Adams Oshiomhole when he was carrying out renovation at the state House of Assembly Complex, the House, after a resolution, relocated to the Old Legislative building at the Government House.
“Of course, if you go round the state, you will observe that the governor has been carrying out renovation works in most of the abandoned buildings.
“In the judiciary, he has done same. Some of the courts were relocated to temporary sites. He has also done same in several other government institutions.
“We can see the external interest in what is going on in Edo State.
“Asiwaju Bola Tinubu did not condemn Adams Oshiomhole when he renovated the state Assembly just as Godwin Obaseki has done now. But he is quick to jump at telling Edo people that what the governor has done amounts to impeachable offences.
“But let me make it clear here that it is now obvious to Edo people that what is going on at the state House of Assembly is influenced by Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.”
Orbih warned Tinubu to mind his business, saying that he cannot come from Lagos to dictate the flow of the Edo political terrain.
He said: “I want to also say here that Edo State is not Lagos. We’ve been informed that he has since drawn up a list of commissioners that has been handed over to their APC candidate made up of those who are not even from Edo State because that is his style. He has done it in Lagos, he has done it in several other South-Western states.
“Asiwaju cannot draw the political terrain of Edo State with the influence of Adams Oshiomhole and his preferred candidate. Edo people should be allowed to decide their own political destiny.
“We will resist any attempt by those whose style of politics is to influence what happens in states that they don’t come from, influence appointments there and they influence who gets anything in those states.
“Certainly, Edo is not Lagos and we will not allow anybody to dictate to us.”
