By Chris Azebamwan
The Supreme Court recently upheld the decision of the lower courts that Godwin Obaseki was not guilty of forgery and was qualified therefore, to seek election to the office of Governor of Edo State in 2019. This finally put to rest, the long-drawn legal tussle in a pre-election matter.
In the true spirit of sportsmanship and statesmanship, the duo of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu in recognition of the Supreme Court verdict, sent congratulatory messages to Godwin Obaseki.
Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu went a step further to ask Godwin Obaseki to be magnanimous in victory and revisit the issue of Members-elect of Edo State House of Assembly who were not inaugurated and had their seats declared vacant, as well as the cases of some elected Council Chairmen and Councilors who were removed from office without due process.
Issues from the two categories are currently up for determination by the Courts and it was hoped that an out-of-court settlement could be facilitated by the Governor.
But true to his character however, Godwin Obaseki derisively referred to both Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu as “some characters” in reference to their congratulatory messages and went further to say that rather than facilitate an out-of-court settlement, he would use State apparatus to initiate charges of treason and sedition against the Members-elect in his own words, “to teach them a lesson”.
It is a matter of public records that the 9 member Edo State House of Assembly was inaugurated in the dead of night; a proclamation was made but not published as required by law, some participants were coerced, legislative dress codes were not observed, and several other sundry anomalies and aberrations.
All of these notwithstanding, the All Progressives Congress, APC felt it was time to extend the olive branch, start the healing process and begin the onerous task of meeting the yearnings and aspirations of Edo people by deescalating tension in the political space.
It needs to be said that the 14 Members-elect have a constitutional mandate that was arbitrarily abrogated by under-handed State manipulations. It is the constitutional right and legal responsibility to their constituents to seek by any and all lawful means, to claim their mandate.
Do we need to remind Godwin Obaseki that those who make peaceful change impossible, make violent change inevitable. But because we believe and strongly too, that we are all critical stakeholders in the Edo State project, it was and still is, our hope, our desire and our prayer that we can achieve more with a handshake at a parley table, that can be achieved through confrontation.
It is time to sheath swords. It is time to come together as one people with a joint and common destiny. This is not the time for grandstanding, not the time for threats and intimidation, and certainly not the time for arm-twisting.
Democracy without representation has no meaning and there is no denying that the people of Edo State that are represented by the 14 Members-elect are being shortchanged.
It is time to let the greater good for the greater number to be our over-riding consideration. It is time to bring down the barriers and build bridges because if the house collapses, the loss is shared by all occupants of the house. Let us together, rebuild Edo State without bitterness and rancor.
Chris Azebamwan is Edo State APC Publicity Secretary.
