Shaibu made this claim during a thanksgiving service held at Saint Philip Catholic Church in Jettu, Etsako West Local Government Area of the state, on Sunday.

The event was held to celebrate the victory of Shaibu and the state Governor, Godwin Obaseki, under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party.

He said, “Adams Oshiomhole taught me all I know now politically. He made me stand my ground and help us end godfatherism. I have no quarrel with Adams Oshiomhole.”

The Deputy Governor further stated that there numerous lessons to be learnt from the re-election of Obaseki.

The deputy governor said, “We must come together as a nation in recognising our shared interest in placing boundaries on our competition in order not to divide the nation into hostile and irreconcilable camps. This dangerous impasse is one area where the wisdom of Governor Godwin Obaseki has reigned supreme.”

Shaibu described his principal as a selfless governor, who has his people at heart. He charged the people of the state to support the administration to deliver on its campaign promises.

In a related development, Governor Obaseki had revealed that he visited the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor E. A Adeboye on different occasions in the build-up to his second term re-election.

He revealed that each time he visited the cleric for prayers, he was assured that all will be well and he would emerge victoriously.

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IHRC Envoy in Nigeria, Dr Kenneth Anozie, made the appeal in a statement in Enugu on Wednesday.

Anozie noted that the outcome of the Edo governorship election showed the exercise was free, fair and credible, and urged INEC to replicate the same in Ondo State by ensuring the electorate chose their leaders without interference from any quarter.

He explained that fair and credible elections were human right issues, as declaring the loser a winner actually infringed on the rights of the citizens to determine who presided over their affairs.

Anozie, however, appealed to relevant authorities, including political parties and their candidates to conduct themselves with utmost civility, as well as play in accordance with the electoral laws to avoid attracting international sanctions after the elections. 

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Obaseki, who gave the hint while speaking to State House Correspondents after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, noted that such a move would negatively affect his credibility.

Obaseki said he was at the State House on an appreciation visit to the President, following last weekend’s governorship election, which he won and re-elected as governor of Edo State.

The governor dumped the APC for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) following his disqualification from the party’s gubernatorial primaries.

Responding to questions from State House correspondents after meeting with President Buhari, he affirmed that leaving the PDP for the APC goes against Buhari’s gospel of integrity.

He also said he will not attempt to replace former APC national chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, as the new godfather of Edo politics, saying that if he does, “I should be dealt with accordingly.”

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Wike, however, said the Edo State governor must never forget that he was given an umbrella when he was left in the cold.

The Rivers State governor said this on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme on Friday.

When asked what he would do if Obaseki left the PDP, Wike said, “I don’t want to discuss something that is not going to be possible. However, assuming it happens, so what? That is politics.

“If the governor believes that the PDP is no longer a party for him to actualise his vision and his mission, there is nothing wrong but I don’t believe that it is going to happen because the governor has consistently told us that there is no way he will leave the PDP. If he leaves the PDP, people in Edo State will not be happy.

“And he is somebody I have that trust in that he will not leave the party. This is a party that clothed him. This is a party that when it was raining, gave him an umbrella.”

Wike said he did not play such a big role in Obaseki’s re-election but only acted as the chairman of the campaign council.

He said he merely supervised the campaign, presented strategies and gave guidance.

The governor said it would be wrong of anyone to give him the glory when others like Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, played their roles.

Wike stated that he did not fund Obaseki’s campaign because the governor already had enough money to execute his campaign

“What resources could I have deployed? He is a sitting governor. What resources can I give him that he does not have?” he asked.

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It was the first outing of the APC candidate after the governorship election.

The closed door meeting with Ize-Iyamu took place Wednesday afternoon at the Abuja residence of Mr Buni.

Although the reason for the meeting could not be ascertained as at the time filing this report, it was gathered that the party leadership was persuading Pastor Ize-Iyamu to accept in good faith the outcome of the election. The discussion centred on the way forward with ize-Iyamu after the Edo election.

The APC leadership through a statement signed by governor Buni had congratulated the winner of the election, Governor Godwin Obaseki of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

According to the party, “the September 19, 2020, Edo State Governorship election is over, the winner has been declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the person of the Mr Godwin Obaseki, candidate of the People Democratic Party (PDP).”

The party said it joined President Muhammadu Buhari, who had on Sunday congratulated the winner of the election, to affirm ‘‘commitment to free and fair elections’’ in order to strengthen ‘the foundation for our political and moral authority’.

TVC

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The residents spoke in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Nsukka on Monday.

They attributed what they described as violence-free election to the fact that INEC operated as a neutral umpire and gave all the political parties that fielded candidates level-playing playing field during the exercise.

Dr Ifeanyichukwu Abada, a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Political Science, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, said that INEC deserved commendation for presiding over a credible, free, fair and violence-free governorship election in Edo.

Abada, the immediate past head of the department, said that what INEC did in Edo had restored the confidence of many Nigerians in the commission, urging it to do same in the October 10 governorship election in Ondo State.

“I commend INEC for conducting a credible, free and fair governorship election in Edo. I urge the commission to do same in Ondo State during the October 10 governorship election.

“The result of Saturday’s election in Edo has shown that power indeed belongs to the people and that the era of godfatherism in that state is over.

“I urge the APC governorship candidate to show maturity and spirit of sportsmanship by accepting the outcome of the election, as the people of the state have spoken,” he said.

Mr Fabian Onah, the chairman of People Democratic Party (PDP) in Nsukka Local Government area, commended the people of Edo for trooping out in their numbers to vote for the candidates of their choice.

“The victory of Gov. Godwin Obaseki in the governorship election on Saturday reflected the voice of Edo people.

“I commend INEC and security agencies for providing a conducive environment that ensure the success of the election. I want to urge them to keep it up.

“I also urge Obaseki to be magnanimous in victory and Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, the APC candidate, to show a spirit of sportsmanship by accepting the outcome of the election,’’ he said.

“The Edo election should be a lesson to politicians in the country, especially those who see themselves as political godfathers, that only God crowns a king,” he said.

Mr Anthony Ozioko, an APC chieftain in Nsukka, hailed the exercise, saying that the electorate came out to vote without any molestation or intimidation.

Ozioko attributed the loss of the governorship election by APC to what he called the misunderstanding between Obaseki and a former APC National Chairman, Mr Adams Oshiomhole, which resulted in the former leaving APC to join PDP.

“With the victory of PDP Edo, the number of states being controlled by APC has reduced and if care is not taken, this may affect the party’s performance in the 2023 general elections,’’ he said.

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Some of the residents mocked a former governor of the state, Adams Oshiomhole, who was the major promoter of Ize-Iyamu.

This was as a former member of the National Assembly from Kogi State, Senator Dino Melaye, also mocked Oshiomhole and the national leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

Obaseki polled a total number of 307,955 votes to emerge winner of the poll while Ize-Iyamu scored 223,619 votes.

Obaseki had contested on the platform of the APC in 2016 governorship election against Ize-Iyamu who was then the candidate of the PDP and Obaseki won.

However, Obaseki and Oshiomhole, who is also a former National Chairman of the APC, fell apart and the crisis cost Obaseki the APC governorship ticket. Ize-Iyamu, who had defected to the APC ahead of the APC governorship primary election, was given the ticket.

While celebrating Obaseki’s victory on Sunday, Melaye said Oshiomhole had been reduced.

“Fellow countrymen and women, I salute you once again. I am reaching you directly from Edo. What  we used to have as Osho Baba has now been reduced, downgraded and degraded to Osho pikin. Nobody should call Osho Baba again, never! The only thing you now have is Osho pikin…..

“How can you expect that a man with the umbrella will not win during the rainy season? Definitely, the PDP won. APC, how market? Oshiomhole, how market?” Melaye said before bursting into a song to mock Oshiomhole and Tinubu, who had released a video ahead of the election, urging the people of Edo to reject Obaseki.

“The dollars brought in a bullion van to Edo have gone down the drain,” Melaye added.

Also, some of Obaseki’s supporters said Oshiomhole should relocate to Lagos to join Tinubu to help him cope with the shame of the defeat.

Obaseki’s supporters called Oshiomhole many unprintable names, saying he became too arrogant after the people of Edo State compensated him to win the 2007 governorship in the state.

While dancing and singing, some of the youths said, “He (Oshiomhole) should relocate to be living with his godfather in Lagos.”

A driver, who identified himself as Lucky Godwin, said, “Edo no be  Lagos; we told Oshio and his father that they will be humiliated and that has happened.”

A Lady among the supporters, who identified herself simply as Rose, said “This victory is sweet; e dey pepper Oshioo.”

PUNCH

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Oboh in a statement on Sunday in Benin, commended the peaceful conduct of the election.

She described the outcome of the election as the wish of Edo people.

“I would like to congratulate Obaseki for winning this election. Edo people have decided and I am happy to accept this decision.

“This is not about the candidates that contested in this election, but about the people of Edo State.

“I am always very willing to serve my people in any capacity. There is much to do for our people. Edo now needs to heal and smile again,” she said. The ADC governorship candidate saluted her supporters, media practitioners and security operatives for their respective contributor the success of the election.

“I want to use this opportunity to thank all the people that voted for ADC, the media personnel for covering this election in a very fair manner, the security agencies for carrying out their duties effectively and the leaders, elders, executives and members of ADC party who worked so hard to see the well awaited election through,” she added.

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The Police Commissioner said this on Channels Television while reacting to claims that security operatives had laid siege to the hotel where Wike and some of his colleagues are staying in Benin on Friday evening.

Wike had claimed that he was in Benin to monitor the election and that he will move around later in the day to do so as the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP National Campaign Council for Edo poll.But the Kokumo said the Police will not allow anyone engage in such needless movement. The Police Commissioner said, “The Police don’t need to lay siege on anyone, but the  situation is no matter the status of the citizen, in Nigeria we will ensure that we do all within our capacity to create conducive atmosphere for free, fair and credible election.

“People having no business within Edo State cannot be moving from one point to the other.

“Movement is restricted. The restriction commences from 12 midnight to 1800 hours of tomorrow when we believe that election would have been concluded. “So, movement is restricted, nobody is empowered to move about whether  you are a governor or you are not.

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