A Human Rights activist and Founder of One Love Foundation, Chief Dr Patrick Eholor, has called out Edo State Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki on the $3m he claimed to have paid for the guber ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in 2020.
The money was purportedly paid to Hon Omoregie Ogbeide Ihama to step down from the race for the ticket which he had virtually secured.
Ihama was waiting to be coronated when the Obaseki dilemma started and the governor needed to be “saved” having been screened out of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and therefore unable to seek re-election on the party platform.
Eholor’s threw down the gauntlet to Governor Obaseki during the week following the disclosure by the National Vice Chairman (South-south) of the PDP, Chief Dan Orbih, that no single kobo exchanged hands between Obaseki and the duo of Ihama and him (Orbih).
THE CONCLAVE had reported that Orbih exposed how Obaseki duped his Deputy governor, Comrade Philip Shaibu, to the tune of $300,000 in the deal to get the ticket of the PDP.
Orbih, in a recent viral video, is heard telling associates how the decision to allow Obaseki run on the PDP platform was consummated.
He had also recounted steps taken by the National Headquarters of the party to resolve the problem between the Legacy PDP and the Governor Obaseki faction of the party.
According to Orbih: “A committee was set up by the party comprising Arthur Okowa, the Governor of Delta State who is also the vice-presidential candidate (of the PDP), Govs Bala Mohammed of Bauchi, Darius Ishaku of Taraba and Samuel Ortom of Benue.
“Ortom was the Chairman of the Committee. We met in the early hours of the morning, feeling that we have addressed the issue in Edo State.
“It was decided even though it was not fair to me and those Obaseki met in the party: they said Obaseki should produce 13 members of the House of Assembly; the PDP legacy should produce 11 members.
“The senatorial candidate of Edo South was agreed by the party at the national level that one should be given to Ogbeide Ihama (who had virtially emerged as the guber candidate of the party); one should be given to legacy PDP and the remaining one to Obaseki.
“The House of Representatives: 5 seats were given to legacy PDP, 4 to Obaseki.
“We agreed, came out of that meeting and we were celebrating the resolution of the problem in Edo State.
“After that meeting, it was agreed that we should meet in Benin.
“I took a flight to Benin. the Governor and the Deputy came to Benin and for the first time in the meeting, I looked at Governor Obaseki’s face and I challenged him.
“I said I have heard the stories that you said you bought the ticket of the PDP.
“I asked him: did money exchange hands between us and yourself on your coming to PDP? He said no.
“I said, but your Deputy, Philip Shuaibu, seated here, told me that you asked him to contribute $300,000 to settle the issue of your coming to PDP.
“I said Philip Shuaibu said he gave you $300,000 to add to the money to plead with myself and Ogbeide Ihama.
“I said Governor Obaseki, can you tell us whether you gave one Kobo to myself and Ogbeide Ihama? He said no and he said he did not send anybody to give us money.
“I said to Philip Shuaibu: you are seated here, did you not tell us that you gave $300,000 to Obaseki to add to the money to settle the ticket for PDP?
“And he (Phillip Shuaibu) said he did, in the presence of Obaseki; and the other Governors looked at one another and shook their heads.”
Reacting to the development, Chief Eholor said in a post on his Facebook with a video clip to boot: “It’s clear to us that Godwin Obaseki the Governor of Edo state is a pathological liar.
” He sold a dummy for us to believe that he gave Hon. Ogbeide Ihama $3,000,000 (Three Million Dollars) to step down for him.
“And Chief Dan Orbi revealed to the world through his video broadcast that Comrade Philip Shaibu told him that Governor Godwin Obaseki asked him to bring ₦300,000 so he can make it up to $3,000,000 (Three Million Dollars) to buy his ticket.
“My question is that: how can you trust a Governor who knowingly duped his deputy for $3,000,000 (Three Million Dollars?) ($300,000).
“How can we continue to allow a governor who collects ₦700,000,000 every month with nothing to show for it, a governor who promised us Gelegele seaport and paid billions for the project (and) when it rains in Benin everybody is restless (as) there’s no drainage system? Yet, there is an agenda he called Making Edo Great Again (MEGA).
“Governor Godwin Obaseki has entered the Guinness book of record as the best MOU governor. I wonder what he is doing with this money. It is clear to those who supported the 4 + 4 campaign.
“In all, Comrade Philip Shaibu forsake (sic) the former Governor Adams Oshiomole for Godwin Obaseki; yet the present Governor betrayed him.
“This makes me remember my words ‘If you sell your brother to a buyer, the buyer will never trust you’.”
“Ogbaaaaaa Neeeeee! 
”
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