Governor Godwin Obaseki

Mr Henry Idahagbon, a former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Edo and a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) alleged that Governor Godwin Obaseki who, according to him, was expected to be a steward to all in the state, had made himself inaccessible and barred politicians from the government house.

He added that the greatest regret of the progressives in the state chapter of the party was the alleged inability of the governor to deliver on any of his electioneering campaign promises after almost three years in office.

Idahagbon who is also a chieftain of the Edo Peoples’ Movement (EPM), a pressure group in the state chapter of the party said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Benin on Wednesday.

He claimed that the governor’s action had made it impossible for the governor to be appropriately advised.

“To be a loner is not a good attribute of a governor, because a governor is supposed to be a steward to the people,’’ he said.

Idahagbon further said that the quality of good leadership is to know how to command followership, as well as know how to broker peace among aggrieved parties, not hounding them for speaking out.

He explained that the EPM, as a pressure group, was also out to strengthen the party, particularly its election winning machinery to full capacity, as well as shop for credible candidates for the party, ahead of the 2020 gubernatorial elections in the state.

Idahagbon stated that the EPM comprises of progressive leaders in the party.

He added that just as other pressure groups in the party in the state, the EPM had commenced shopping for a credible candidate who would be the party’s flag bearer in 2020.

The group has also started forming political structures across the 192 wards in the state.

The APC chieftain stressed on the need to strengthen the party ahead of 2020, adding that it was imperative in view of the party’s performance in the last February and March general elections in the state.

He assured that the party would conduct a free, fair, credible and rancor-free primaries to chose its candidate for 2020.

Idahagbon, however, said that the present crises rocking the party in the state would be resolved as it was an in-house fight among brothers.

He blamed the crises on non-politicians in the party, those who he said were not ready to learn.