POLITICS

Fayemi rips Oshiomhole over fallouts of Edo APC primaries

Kayode Fayemi, former governor of Ekiti State, has ripped Senator Adam Oshiomhole, accusing him of attempting to foist his preferred candidate on the All Progressives Congress in the botched primaries.

Fayemi, in a statement by his media aide Ahmad Sajoh, said “Oshiomhole had attempted to eliminate some aspirants from contesting the primaries but failed.”

He added, “This is reminiscent of his high-handedness as national chairman when he manipulatively schemed Governor Godwin Obaseki out of the electoral process. That action led to the unfortunate loss of Edo state by the APC.

“It would appear the ground was being prepared by Oshiomhole yet again for the APC to lose the coming election in Edo state because of his unconscionable behaviour.

“However, the party has demonstrated independence and impartiality in cancelling and reordering the primaries.

“We hope the fresh primaries will now take place in an atmosphere deemed free and fair by all, for the sake of our great party.

“Oshiomhole may decide to support any of the aspirants if he chooses not to be neutral but the process must be open, free, and transparent, following the laid down rules.

“My interest is the APC and the party must put its best foot forward in the forthcoming elections.’’

Fayemi commended the national leadership of the APC for rescheduling the primary election.

TheCornet reports that Fayemi and Oshiomhole have been squabbling over their past roles. Fayemi had backed Obaseki, Oshiomhole’s estranged political godson, to win the Edo governorship election. Fayemi took the action, despite Obaseki dumping the APC for the Peoples Democratic Party.

Oshiomhole had at a public function in 2022 accused Fayemi and former governor Ibikunle Amosun of plotting his removal as national chairman of the APC, a position he held from 2018 to 2020. He had said at the time that the former governors accused him of working for his paymaster, Bola Tinubu, now President of Nigeria.

Senator Oshiomhole also said at another time.in 2022, when he featured on Channels television, that Fayemi wanted him to commit electoral fraud.

He said, “I said it in one of the meetings I had with governor Kayode Fayemi who told me bluntly to my face that, “chairman, what we are saying is, you can go and conduct election to fulfil all righteousness, but when we say this is the person that should emerge, just make sure he is the person that emerge’.

“And I told governor Fayemi that, ‘that would be your own portion not me’. I cannot be used as an instrument of fraud, to invite people to buy forms when I have already decided, regardless of how people will vote, this is the man that will prevail.”

In his well-publicised response, Fayemi denied Oshiomhole’s accusations.

 

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