Godwin Obaseki

Jethro Ibileke/Benin‎
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The leadership of Accord Party (AP), on Sunday asked the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), for the September 10 governorship poll in Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, to explain his role in the alleged #5.5 billion fraudulent dealings involving real estate development, a company in which he holds a substantial share.

This is even as the Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party on Sunday called on the Federal House of Representatives and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), to expedite action on the alleged N5.5 billion fraud against the APC governorship candidate.

‎Accord Party’s statement followed a petition on the floor of the lower chamber seeking investigation of the APC candidate

‎But the APC flag bearer had in an interview last week described the allegation as “one of those scams” he had “nothing” to do with, as he was only a shareholder sitting on the board of the company.

“It is one of those scams; they wrote to the EFCC, the committee on public prosecution. So, if someone is owing you, is there not a civil process to go through? Why should it be an EFCC matter? But it has nothing to do with me. I didn’t manage the company; I am just a shareholder and on the board of the company. I didn’t take money from anybody,” Obaseki had exlained. ‎
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‎The National Secretary of AP, Dr. Samson Isibor, who in a statement on Sunday, described the explanation as “shallow,” and admonished the APC candidate to come out clean himself, called on him to clear himself of the alleged criminal offence before embarking on campaigns as the allegation is too weighty.

“Edo people are wiser now and will never make the mistake of voting for a suspect because they have suffered enough in the past,” Isibor said.‎
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Meanwhile, the State Chairman oof PDP, Chief Dan Orbih, told journalists during a press briefing that the party’s investigation at the Corporate Affairs Commission had revealed that the Obaseki allegedly appropriate to himself the shares of the late Idisi.

He also vowed to expose more documents of alleged fraudulent activities of the APC candidate “in collaboration with Adams Oshiomhole, to defraud Edo State.”‎
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‎Orbih explained that as against an alleged agreement which gave the late man an option of appointing a new Chairman, the APC candidate allegedly appropriated to himself the control of 36 million shares in the company.
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“From the records available before us, it is clear that Godwin Obaseki, the APC candidate, through this transaction, had fraudulently accrued to himself the 36 million share capital hitherto held by the family of Humphery Idisi.

“‎This is fraudulent, this is unacceptable and we want say that the present attempt by Godwin Obaseki and his German collaborators to frustrate the public hearing by members of the House of Representatives will not hold,” Orbih said. ‎‎

Orbih added, “Hence, we are using this opportunity to call on the EFCC that the petition presented to its South-South zone in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, should be looked into by the commission with all seriousness.”‎

The PDP chairman therefore called on the electorate to key into the campaign of the PDP and its governorship candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, whom he described as a “man of God.”

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The author, Jethro Ibileke, can be reached at [email protected]‎