Oshiomhole’s confession comes barely two years after he clashed with the incumbent governor during the electioneering campaign for his second term ticket.

The feud consequently compelled Obaseki to defect from the APC to the Peoples Democratic Party, despite efforts put up by some stakeholders to resolve their differences.

The governor would later seek re-election on the platform of the PDP where he defeated Oshiomhole’s anointed candidate and the APC governorship flagbearer, Osagie Ize-Iyamu.

Despite the media war waged by camps of Obaseki and Oshiomhole, both politicians were always in their best behaviour every time they ran into each at public functions.

This was also evident at the birthday thanksgiving of Nigeria’s oldest Catholic priest, Most Rev. Monsignor Thomas Oleghe, at the Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Auchi, last year.

Addressing journalists after the event, Obaseki disclosed that he held no grudge against his predecessor, but only disagreed with his style of politics.

I don’t have anything personal against Oshiomhole. I may not like his politics, but he has not done anything personal against me. We all are interacting with the interest of the country and the development of our community at heart,” he said.

In an interview with The PUNCH on Friday, Oshiomhole told our correspondent that Obaseki remained his close brother and friend despite their reported frosty relationship.

The two-term governor of Edo State also affirmed that he still had fond memories of their time together.

He said, “For me, I have moved on. Obaseki remains my brother and friend. I have had the honour of working with him and God in his infinite power used me to ensure that he became the governor of Edo State.

“Sometimes, God wants us to know that He is the only one that is all-knowing. He is the only one who knows the beginning and the end. When, as human beings, everything seems to add up, we celebrate our intellect. But sometimes, God intervenes just for us to know that we don’t know it all and it is meant to remind us of our limited knowledge of life. He remains my brother and friend.

“When I was governor and he worked under me, my relationship with him was not that of boss and subordinate. He was one of the very few who called me by my nickname. When we travelled together on foreign trips, we didn’t book different suites in a hotel. Instead we shared the same suite in a hotel but slept in separate rooms. That’s how close we were.”

According to an invitation letter  those invited for the meeting include former Lagos State Governor and Presidential aspirant, Bola Tinubu, former National Chairmen of the APC, Dr John Oyegun, and Adams Oshiomhole, former Adamawa state Governor, Murtala Nyako.

Others are former Ogun State Governor, Olusegun Osoba, first interim chairman of the APC, Bisi Akande, former Borno State Governor, Ali Modu-Sheriff, Former Zamfara State Governor, Ahmed Yarima, Former Sokoto State Governor, Aliyu Wamako, former Edo state Governor, Oserheimen Osunbor, former Yobe State Governor, Bukar Ibrahim, General Muhammed Magoro, Senators Lawal Shuaibu, Aba Aji, Tijjani Tumsah, Fati Bala, Abubakar Guru, and Nasiru Danu.

The letter dated April 22, 2022, addressed to the APC National Chairman and signed by the President’s Chief of Staff, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari read: “I write to inform you that the President Muhammadu Buhari, has directed that invitation be extended to the attached list of the leadership of the All Progressives Congress to join the President to break Ramadan fast on Tuesday, April 26, 2022, at 1830 hours in the Presidential Banquet Hall, State House, Abuja. In this regard, you are kindly requested to invite them to attend. The leaders are to arrive at the Pilot Gate at 1630 hours for Rapid Covid-19 testing at the State House Conference Centre and be seated at the venue by 1800 hours.”

Speaking at a book presentation, the former Chairman of the All Progressives Congress said it is very dangerous to reduce governance and issues of government in Nigeria to age and gender.

He said “It is very dangerous to reduce governance and issues of government in Nigeria to age, and even the question of gender. When we are talking about gender issues, what drives a woman is not the skirt or blouse that she wears, it is our heart. I want us to move our hearts away from what we hear that when people are young, things will be fine. The Vice President and I served on a committee before I was brought to where I am. Did we really find any correlation between the values, the ideal, competence and performance of people who occupied executive positions and those who occupied legislative houses? The views they parroted, the decisions they took, and their idea of society; was it in correlation with their age and those views? I haven’t found any. I have found elderly people who care and believe Nigeria can do better and they have an idea of how it can be managed. I also have young people who believe life is a superhighway. I don’t want to be misunderstood. The young people have the right to participate and to be active in every sphere of life.”

The lawsuit which was filed by Comrade Mustapha Salihu and five others was the one that led to an order being granted by the same court to effect the suspension of Oshiomhole from further acting as chairman of the APC.

The Plaintiffs’ lawyer, Oluwola Afolabi who moved a motion to withdraw the case on Thursday, July 2, said it was in line with the directive of the leaders of the APC that all court cases be discontinued in the interest of peace.

Oshiomhole’s lawyer Ginika Ezeoke who did not oppose the plaintiffs’ desire to withdraw the case, urged the court to dismiss the suit on the grounds that the parties have filed pleadings and have to be enjoined issues in relation to the subject of the case.

Justice Danlami Senchi who ruled on the case dismissed the suit and ordered the parties involved to bear their respective costs.

Extension of the order came after Mr Giadom took over the leadership of the party and also dismissed the party’s announcement of former Oyo governor, Abiola Ajimobi as acting chairman.

Justice Samiru Umar Bature who gave the order on June 16, said Giadom can act as APC’s National Chairman unhindered “unless otherwise decided by the National Executive Committee of the 4th defendant (APC).”

The motion marked FCT/HC/M/6447/2020 read in part “Upon listening to Wole Afolabi, Esq. counsel to the plaintiff /applicant praying this honourable court to extend the lifespan of the order of this court made on the 16th of March 2020 as per a motion ex-parte, with motion No: FCT/HC/CV/6447/2020, praying this Honourable Court for the following orders:

*An interim order of this honourable Court allowing Chief Victor Giadom (present Acting National Secretary) to pilot the affairs of the 4th defendant as Acting Chairman and to preside at all meetings of the National Executive Committee pending the decision of the National Executive committee of the 4th defendant fixed for 17th March 2020 or any other subsequent adjourned date pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.

*An interim order of this honourable court restraining the 4th defendant and its officers or anyone purporting to act as an officer of the 4th defendant from preventing or in any way disturbing Chief Victor Giadom (present Acting National Secretary) from functioning as the Acting Chairman (unless otherwise decided by the National Executive Committee of the 4th defendant) pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice

“Consequently and in line with Rule No.5 of the COVID 19 Practice Directions of the FCT High Court, 2020, the order of this court made on the 16th day of March 2020 is hereby extended for a period of two (2) weeks. Application is a hereby granted as prayed.”

Justice Bature had on March 16, 2020, ordered that Giadom should assume the position of the party’s Acting National Chairman, while Comrade Mustapha Salihu who claimed to be the APC’s National Vice Chairman (North-East) can act as the party’s Secretary.

The Rivers state Governor had blamed the forum over the current travail of the Governor Obaseki who has been enmeshed in a long drawn battle with the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Adams Oshiomhole.

However reacting to Wike’ statement, spokesperson of the NGF Abdulrazaque Bakindo accused Paulinus Nsirim of misinforming the Governor. He affirmed that the NGF has six core mandate areas and politics isn’t one of them.

Bakindo said “Governor Wike is an old member of the NGF and a strong one at that. He could not have referred to the NGF as a Beggars Forum. Blame it on the author of the release, Mr Nsirim the Information Commissioner in Rivers State who couldn’t distinguish between the NGF and the Progressive Governors Forum which is the political platform of APC Govs. The NGF has six core mandate areas and politics isn’t one of them. The NGF is happy to state that Gov Wike is one of its strong members and has delegated his Deputy Gov to the Forum and she has never missed any meeting.”

Oshiomhole also announced that the suspension of two members of the National Working Committee of the party which led to the crisis has been lifted.

He said “We have also resolved that we are going to withdraw all cases in court that any member of the NEC is involved in so that we must lead by example and we have shown that we are capable of managing ourselves and therefore we do not need the minister to help us resolve what we are capable of resolving. People have issues which they feel strongly about, and as a result the NWC took some decisions which affected my friend and brother, Senator Lawal Shuaibu, deputy national chairman north. The NWC had a reason for suspending him as at then. Today we have reviewed the situation and we believe that in the spirit of our renewed commitment to build unity and true reconciliation, we as leaders of the party elected at the convention should live by example.
And that means for those we think have offended the system, we have chosen to lift their suspensions. Senator Lawal Shuaibu can resume his duties as deputy national chairman, north.
We also reviewed the matter of Inuwa Abdulkadir, national vice chairman northwest. By the same spirit, the NWC was unanimous in lifting the suspension and he resumes work with immediate effect. I have asked everyone and they have accepted. Whatever they consider to be my own shortcomings, I have asked for forgiveness and they have forgiven. And whatever I considered to be anyone’s shortcoming that irritated me, I have also forgiven. This is the way it should be. It can only be abnormal if people know how to fight and they do not know how to settle.”

Speaking to newsmen at the State House in Abuja after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday March 5, Oshiomhole said that those plotting to oust him from office see him as a threat to their plan.

He said “I’m proud to say that I have done my best not only when I was a governor, I have done my best as chairman of this party, I have worked not only along members of the party and with support of the good people of Nigeria for the president to be re-elected, for us to have majority in the two chambers of the National Assembly, I also worked hard to deliver my unit, my ward, I worked hard to deliver my local government, I worked hard to deliver my federal constituency three of them in my senatorial zone, I also worked hard to deliver my senatorial district. Those fighting me just feel that if they cannot give me orders, then they must do everything to embarrass my person, but I believe that he who God stands with no man born of a woman can bring him down. I can’t say more than that. Those who are parading themselves, holding meetings at night, my prayer to my God is that let them meet at night, what they do at night will be destroyed in the day time. I don’t go for night business I do day business. They know themselves, they know me and I know them. It is just unfortunate that if you have out of 100, 90 people are happy with you, who will call and say well done, those 10 who are not happy are the ones that will call news conference to denounce you, they are the ones who will hold midnight meetings in a minister’s house to say how do we bring him down. They are the ones who will plot how do we get rid of him because they want to be president in 2023 even when their hold on their state at the moment is doubtful If they were to go for referendum in terms of their approval rating.  But as for me, I live my life as the Christians say live it as if there will be no tomorrow, on day by day basis. But God will see me through, He knows my heart, He knows my conscience and He knows the wishes of the overall majority of our members and to them I remain ever grateful. You see there is an issue in this country. People want strong leadership, the averaged Nigerian want to have a strong leader for Nigeria, they want to have strong leaders in various institutions, they want institutions that are strong enough that cannot be controlled by individuals. That was why President Obama said, what Africa needs are strong institutions not strong persons. Unfortunately, very few section of our elite want to weaken institutions so that they can control and if you refuse to oblige them, the misuse of your institution then they go for your jugular, that is the only thing. Otherwise I ask you, remember the confusion we had at the last NEC meeting? That meeting took place exactly a week or about 10 days after we had won Kogi election, Bayelsa election before the court took it and donated it to somebody else. Yet in the face of this victory, people said Oshiomhole must be removed, precisely because we won more seats. But you see whatever you do, those who want to fight you will fight you. But I know that my tenure will be defined by God not by man. And I worry more about what I will be remembered for when I was chairman rather than how long I was chairman. And I am convinced that I have done my very best, mistakes would have been made and I want to see the one person who will say he has never made mistakes”

The former Edo State Governor appealed his sack on 4 grounds. He faulted the “whole ruling” of the trial court which granted the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction,

In the appeal which has Mustapha Salihu, Anselm Ojezua, Sani Gomna, Oshawo Steve, Fani Wabulari, and Princewill Ejogharado as respondents, Oshiomhole stated that the trial court erred in law and arrived at a wrong conclusion which occasioned a miscarriage of justice when it decided that his performance as APC national chairman would interfere with the party membership rights of the first to sixth respondents in the suit, at the interlocutory stage.

This is coming just after it was confirmed that a team of policemen took over the national secretariat of the ruling party in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to ensure there’s no breakdown of law and order.

According to the judge, the suspension order is to subsist till the final determination of the substantive suit seeking the removal of the former Edo State governor as APC national chair.

The suit was brought before the court by some APC members from Edo State, predicating it on Oshiomhole’s suspension by the party in his ward in his home state.

In the suit filed by one Mr Oluwale Afolabi, the petitioners maintained that Mr Oshiomhole’s rights as an APC member is currently abated and he cannot continue to act as chairman of the party. They argued that Oshiomhole cannot continue to enjoy benefits from the APC, despite his suspension as a member of the party.
In his ruling, Justice Senchi held that the party wrongfully kept Oshiomhole as the national chairman of the party despite his suspension from his ward. The judge ordered that Mr Oshiomole should stop parading himself as the chairman of the APC.

He urged the APC to desist from acknowledging him as the chairman of the party and that the party must not to grant Oshiomhole access to the party secretariat.