Guber poll: Commissioners, APC exco boycott Edo deputy governor’s declaration

Commissioners and political appointees in the Edo State government as well as the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC), on Wednesday boycotted the formal declaration ceremony of Pius Odubu, the state deputy governor, to vie for the 2016 governorship election.

BusinessDay reports that the leadership of APC in the state as well as members of the state executive council boycotted the declaration to allegedly avoid the wrath of the state governor, Adams Oshiomhole.

Allegations had been rife that the deputy governor had been under pressures from the power that be in the state to withdraw from the race for a preferred candidate.

Following the pressure, his allies had either been suspended from the party or sacked from various state government agencies.

It was gathered that the state executive of APC had told the deputy governor that they would be away to Abuja for a meeting when the latter notified them of his intention to formally declare for the governorship race.

Declaring his intention to contest for the party governorship primaries at a press conference in his campaign secretariat in Benin City, the deputy governor however denied being asked to step down or withdraw for any preferred aspirant.

Odubu noted that his decision to contest for the governorship primaries election got the blessings of all and sundry.

According to Odubu, “nobody has come to me to say that they are not happy with my ambition. Nobody has called me either in private or in public to express any dissatisfaction over my ambition, not to talk of asking me to step down.

“All those are figments of the manipulation of people who are scare-stiff of my determination to contest the election. Nothing like that has happened and I assure you it is not likely going to happen. Stepping down is not in my contemplation. I will pursue it to its logical conclusion.”

He also publicly denied his alleged attempted plot to kill the state governor, Adams Oshiomhole through diabolical means.

“Another issue that has been in the public domain recently is the alleged attempt to kill Mr. Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole. This is nothing but a wicked attempt by enemies of progress to drive a wedge between me and Mr. Governor.

“It is an old and tired lie concocted to tarnish my image in the eye of the public. It is politically motivated. You are aware that the governorship election is around the corner, and I am one of those vying for APC’s ticket.

“They failed when they tried it during my re-nomination as deputy governor in 2012, they certainly will fail again now. For me, nothing in this world is worth the blood of a fowl, not to talk of that of a human being. I leave these enemies of progress to the all knowing God,” Odubu said.

The deputy governor, who promised to sustain and build on the achievements and legacies of the Adams Oshiomhole-led outgoing administration, opined that his contributions to the success of the administration could not be over-emphasised.