The All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has slammed Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State over an alleged divisive statement.
Recall that Obaseki had warned that Nigeria will breakup if the former Governor of Lagos State wins the 2023 presidential election.
Reacting in a statement on Tuesday, the Director, Media and Publicity of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Bayo Onanuga, described Obaseki as a purveyor of ill-will and disunity, adding that the governor’s statement is divisive, irresponsible and reckless.
The APC chieftain said he was not surprised by the statement made by the Edo governor because he is “toxic, divisive and obnoxious”, adding he lacks the qualities expected of a person occupying the office of a governor.
Onanuga also denied the claim that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has been printing money to pay Federal Allocations to states.
He said, “For a man who swore an oath of allegiance to the sovereignty and unity of Nigeria to be a purveyor of ill-will towards the same country because of partisan politics smirks of total irresponsibility and recklessness unbecoming of a governor who has a constitutionally sanctioned duty to preserve the unity and indivisibility of Nigeria.
“It is worth stating that we are not in any way surprised about Obaseki’s outburst about Nigeria’s breaking. He is, by nature, a divisive, obnoxious and toxic human being that lacks introspection and contemplation expected of a person occupying the office of a governor. He is obviously a man bereft of any iota of emotional intelligence and perhaps a misfit for the role he currently occupies.
“At his ill-fated event in Benin yesterday, Obaseki also repeated the earlier false claim he made in April 2021 on Nigeria’s debt and his accusation that CBN was printing money to share directly to state governments, as if state finance commissioners hauled the billions of naira that is due to them by cash from Abuja every month. Only a disconnected and diseased mind could imagine this scenario that Obaseki concocted.
“The Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed and CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele debunked his lies in a manner that portrayed him as a nitwit, cheap liar and busybody who was just playing to the gallery. What a pity for a man who claimed to have financial background”.
Onanuga said Obaseki while playing his politics without honour and integrity, didn’t remember to tell his crowd that Edo State benefited and took advantage of all the CBN/FGN windows and interventions via loans, restructuring of loans.
He said the policy has helped to save Edo and the other 35 states from being unable to pay salaries and pensions for months.
He said: “This same Obaseki, along with other governors under the banner of Nigerian Governors’ Forum, has been putting pressure on CBN and Minister of Finance for more moratorium on their due obligations to CBN.
“We advise Obaseki to stop his scaremongering and concentrate on how to save his faltering, failing, disconnected and unpopular Government in Edo State. He should stop abusing his office and stooping so low into the dirty gutter of bitter politicking and crisis-baiting.
“After more than 5 years in office, Obaseki does not have any landmark achievement in Edo State other than paying those on whose shoulder he rose to political relevance in Nigeria with evil. One of his mentors, the energetic Governor Nyesom Wike has expressed the deepest regrets in ever helping Obaseki to retain power in Edo State.
“It is quite amusing when Obaseki said PDP and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar will rescue and rebuild Nigeria. We want to ask them how? How can the same people that destroyed the country and created the mess which the APC-led Administration of President Muhammadu Buhari is working day and night to clean up, rescue Nigeria?”
“It is the height of absurdity that Obaseki would recommend to reasonable Nigerians that his party could add new value to Nigeria after it superintended over the looting of over $5b in arms procurement contracts when Boko Haram ravaged the country. How can a party that has failed to build its National Secretariat in 16 years despite raising over N26billion build anything, including our nation?. And of course, nothing is expected from the same people who wasted $16billion to procure darkness for Nigerians in 16 years.
“Obaseki should know by now that Nigerians do not want to have anything to do with his party and Atiku. And the signs are there for all to see: Obaseki’s PDP cannot even rescue itself from internal implosion.”
Article updated 2 months ago. Content is written and modified by multiple authors.
