TELL Magazine

The Edo State executive council has been dissolved. A terse statement on Wednesday signed by Crusoe Osagie, special adviser to Governor Godwin Obaseki on media projects, terminated the appointments of the commissioners and special advisers who were sworn in October 6, 2021, and February 9, 2022. Also sacked “with immediate effect”, were coterie of aides like special assistants (SAs) and senior special assistants (SSAs).
Coming after today’s executive council meeting for the week, Governor, Obaseki expressed appreciation to members of the dissolved council for their service to the government and people of the state.
Though no reason was adduced for the dissolution, an authoritative source hinted TELL that the governor’s action was propelled by political exigency. He said it was to strategically reposition the government and the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for the next phase of politicking in the state ahead of next year’s governorship election that would produce Obaseki’s successor. The governor’s tenure ends November 11, 2024.
According to the source who is a member of the governor’s inner circle, “You know the governor is handing over next year and we want to bring in seasoned politicians who can win elections”. In reference to the factionalisation of the PDP in the state, the source posited that “We also want to extend our hand of fellowship to our brothers and sisters on the other side of the divide. We want to bring everybody on board except those who are not willing to come.
“Next year’s election is going to be very tough because we are going to face a hostile federal government and we want to put our house in order so that we can put up a united front to fight the battle. We can’t prosecute that battle with all these commissioners and other aides many of who could not win their units and wards during the just-concluded election”.
Recall that there had been no love lost between Governor Obaseki and the president-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, fallout of the 2020 governorship election in Edo State during which the national leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, urged Edo people not to vote for Obaseki.
In a viral video Tuesday September 15, 2020, a few days to that weekend’s election, Tinubu said “I want to appeal as a committed democrat and a leader of all democrats to our conscience and commitment to democracy, on the forthcoming election in Edo state, to reject Godwin Obaseki.
“I have suffered with many others to bring about this democratic regime, that today, we are enjoying in the country. Then, Godwin Obaseki didn’t participate in any aspect of the struggle to enshrine democracy in the country. Therefore, he could not understand the value and the pains associated with this democratic struggle.”
Chiding Obaseki for going against the ideals of democracy by “preventing” some state lawmakers from being sworn in, Tinubu said “He demonstrated the act of dictatorship, lack of respect for rule of law, lack of respect for you the people who voted for those legislators prevented from being sworn-in” stressing that “Today, he now comes back as a democrat wanting you to vote for him. Please, I appeal to you, reject him. Like he rejected the 14 members, you should reject him at the polls”.
Edo people, however, spurned his appeal, voting in Obaseki for a second term in office.