Obaseki blames Oshiomhole for bombings in Edo

The Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, has alleged that the recent trend of bomb detonation in the state is the third layer of Adams Oshiomhole’s plan to discredit him.

In a phone interview with PREMIUM TIMES, the governor’s spokesperson, Crusoe Osagie, said the explosion that rocked the residence of the factional secretary of All Progressives Congress (APC), Lawrence Okah, in the state, has nothing to do with the governor.

“The third move is now setting up bombs, blowing up places, and shooting empty buildings and so on.

“Their intent is to create an irretrievable breakdown of law and order in Edo State which is to necessitate declaring a state of emergency and seizing (of) government from Obaseki,” Mr Osagie told this reporter on Wednesday morning.

A bomb was detonated at Mr Okah’s residence around 12.30 am on Tuesday, leaving damaging impacts on the structure at large. Another was recovered by Nigerian police’s anti-bomb unit from the scene, the Vanguard newspaper reported.

Mr Okah accused the state governor of having a hand in this attempt on his life, even though the latter denied.

Mr Okah is one of those against Mr Obaseki’s second term governorship ambition.

This is the second time in eight days that his residence would be attacked. His residence was ridden with live bullets last week Tuesday by unknown gunmen.

“And again, on Tuesday at 12.30 a.m. (yesterday), I heard a sound, a boom. I called my security men and they said it sounded like a bomb. The one they threw into my bedroom did not detonate. If that one had detonated, you would not have seen me to talk to.

“That was targeted at my room. If it had exploded, it would have been a different story. I just want to advise Mr Governor. He has threatened me before and he has carried out the threat.

“By the grace of God, we are alive to speak to our people, to let them know what is going on. We pray to God for those we helped not to turn around against us. By the grace of God, I am one of those that helped this government to be but the governor has turned around now and wants to kill us,” the Vanguard quoted Mr Okah saying.

Meanwhile, the internal crisis in the Edo State chapter of the APC is one of the central concerns which informed the party’s reconciliatory committee inaugurated on Tuesday, in Abuja.

Obaseki’s Reaction

Mr Osagie recounted how Mr Oshiomhole has allegedly tried to oust Mr Obaseki, due to the latter’s alleged refusal to allow the former lord over his affairs in the state.

He said the rise in violence in the state started three months ago when Osagie Ize-Iyamu joined the party and teamed up with the Edo People Movement (EPM), a group allegedly sponsored by Mr Oshiomhole.

READ ALSO: Oshiomhole can’t enter Edo without Obaseki’s permission – Deputy Governor

He appealed to the President and Inspector General of Police to pay special attention to the crisis in the state before it gets out of control.

“We believe they are going to intensify their violence in the coming days because the presidency and the national leadership of the party has just reconstituted an acceptable reconciliatory committee.

“The so called bombs going up were intentionally set up by this guys; Ize-Iyamu and some of these guys that work with Oshiomhole in the Edo People Movement (EPM) and their objective is to shake-up and distrupt the APC in Edo State,” the Governor alleged.

So far, no casualty was recorded neither has there been any arrest in relation to detonated bomb at Mr Okah’s residence.

Oshiomhole’s reaction

PREMIUM TIMES contacted Mr Oshiomhole for reactions to the allegations levelled against him by Mr Obaseki.

“I don’t have any comment nor reaction to the allegation,” Simon Ebegbulem, the Chief Press Secretary to the APC national chairman, said to this reporter.