Time To Retire Anenih, Says Oshiomhole

Governor Adams Oshiomole of Edo State, South-South Nigeria, says it is time to retire former Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Tony Anenih.

He said the just concluded National Assembly election has demystified Anenih in Edo State and rendered him powerless.

Chief Anenih, a former Minister of Works in the Olusegun Obasanjo-led government, had been known as ‘Mr. Fix It.’ He was also known to have delivered Edo State to the PDP in previous elections.

But the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) won two of the three senatorial seats in his state while the PDP had one as against previous elections.

Also ACN won most of the House of Representatives seats in the state.

Speaking at palace of Oba Erediauwa of Benin, where he led the members of his party who won in the election on a visit to the royal father, Governor Oshiomhole said the recent exercise has shown that the ‘godfather’ of the state had become weak since he could not deliver his state to the PDP and that the ACN is currently forcing him into political retirement.

“Edo people have overwhelmingly endorsed ACN government because of what the government has been doing.

“On Edo Central, we won one out of the five Local Governments. The godfather has been defeated. In Edo North and South, we have restricted godfatherism to only the Central. We have restricted the godfather to 10 per cent ownership of political power in the state,” Governor Oshiomhole said.

The governor also said his party would have won the entire seats in the state but for in-fighting within the party and the refusal of aggrieved party members to endorse candidates before the election.

“Some people thought they could bribe our people with money, but the exercise has shown that the people of Edo state cannot sell their conscience.

“Politicians should try and earn the acceptability of the people. The ‘One man, one vote’ doctrine has come to stay and we must ensure good governance by reciprocating the people’s mandate.

“I am happy not just because we won 80 per cent in the election, but because the bad people have been put out of business,” he said while praising the Independent National Electoral Commission for a job well done.

The Oba, who blessed the newly elected lawmakers, also advised them to work in favour of the people.

—Eromosele Ebhomele