With less than one year to quit office and return to his village, the relationship between the Edo State governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, and his deputy, Dr. Pius Odubu, has broken down due to their different views over the succession plan to the state government house.
The cordial relationship that existed between the two broke down in the last seven months as the race to the Edo State Government House hots up. The failed relationship has created a fashion within the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Vanguard reports that the crisis between the two blew up after the Coordinator of Odubu’s governorship organization, Barrister Humphrey Uanseoje, signed a letter with other governorship aspirants of the party.
It was learnt that the signed letter was sent to the national chairman of the party, Odigie Oyegun, where they alleged that the state chairman, Anslem Ojezua, in connivance with the governor, had planned to doctor the list of the delegates for the party primaries slated for June this year.
The publication shocked many watchers of the politics of the state since it would be the first time the deputy governor will be openly accusing his boss of alleged plot to manipulate the forthcoming primary of the APC against him.
As the relationship between the duo got messier, Oshiomhole, in a meeting organized by leaders of the party to mend fences between the two, said he had refused to be in the events of his deputy, having been informed that his deputy had consulted a native doctor to hurt him so that Odubu will take over the governorship of the state.
Oshiomhole said he was informed of the alleged plan by a leader of the party and that he had met with the native doctors whom his deputy allegedly contracted to do the damage, adding that the native doctors admitted and gave him details of how the rituals were planned waiting for execution.
Oshiomhole told the people that the party leader who leaked the information to him, who was out of the country at that time, was ready to confront the deputy with the details of his alleged meeting with the witch doctors. He further stated that he could not have attended any ceremony at Odubu’s place, saying he would not want to be poisoned.
Following this revelation, Oshiomhole had shown reluctance to be in the camp of his deputy in whatever event. This development had also put Odubu’s loyalists with that of the governor in the trenches as they are now at logger head with each other in the battle towards the primaries of the party.
According to Vanguard, the peace move spearheaded by the Commissioner for Works in the state, Osarodion Ogie, was initiated with a view to dousing tension in the party ahead the primaries of the party come June.
But facts emerging from the two camps are indicative that the relationship may be difficult to restore due to the different worldview and their support base for the succession to the seat of the state governor.
It was learnt that another meeting has been scheduled for Thursday this week to look into the issue and settle the two warring lions.
Investigations have, however, revealed that Oshiomhole is skeptical of his deputy following the allegation of planning to kill him with the instrument of native doctors.
With this development, Oshiomhole has consistently refused to go to the house of his deputy nor have any business with him in whatever guise.
