By DADA AYOKHAI
The embattled former National Chairman of APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole is presently enmeshed in another running battle with APC members in his local government over his unilateral nomination of Hon Gani Audu as running mate to Pastor Osagie Ize- Iyamu in the Edo stateGubernatorial election slated for September.
According to sources, it was learnt that in a meeting which took place at the former Governor’s residence in Abuja and attended by Edo north stakeholders, Comrade Oshiomhole was said to have announced his preference for Hon Gani Audu among the lot with no room for input and deliberations.
Hon Gani Audu who is presently a member of the Edo state House of Assembly, yet to be inaugurated , hails from Agbede, Etsako West Local Government.
The Oshiomhole’s preference of Gani Audu was a disappointment to the Auchi people and the Uzairues where Oshiomhole hails from. The two communities are APC strong holds and also have the highest voting population in the local government.
The two communities that are yet to recover from the shock of the Oshiomhole decision are still wondering aloud the criteria used by the Comrade to arrive at the decision.
Oshiomole’s kinsmen, the Uzairues felt it is not fair for APC to take from them what was intially theirs without any concrete reason and any form of substitution. They said “we got the deputy governorship slot in the first tenure of Obaseki through the support of Oshiomhole’, we are still in APC and also supporting him, so why did he take our slot from us”
Lamenting their own situation, the Auchi community felt bitter that their loyalty, sacrifice and dedication to both APC and Oshiomhole which usually resulted in block votes was not appreciated by denying them the deputy governorship slot.
It is expected that the political leaders of the two community will issue a statement on the development and adopt a position soon.
The generality of APC members in the locality are of the opinion that Oshiomhole should have retained the deputy governor slot in Uzairue or consider Auchi that have consistently supported Oshiomhole’s agenda and APC
