The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has warned Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State against embarking on a probe of his predecessor, Godwin Obaseki, urging him instead to focus on the development of the state.
The caution from Wike was against the earlier advice given to Okpebholo by a former governor and senator representing Edo North, Adams Oshiomhole, on Friday.
Obaseki succeeded Oshiomhole as governor, but the duo fell apart in the build-up to the second term of Obaseki, after Oshiomhole, who was the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress at the time, promised to work against him.
Obaseki defected to the Peoples Democratic Party with huge help from Wike and eventually won the second term without Oshiomhole’s input.
At the twilight of his administration, Obaseki fell out with Wike and the FCT minister, in turn, supported Okpebholo and mobilised against the candidate of Obaseki in the 2024 governorship election, Asue Ighodalo.
Speaking at a victory celebration of the Supreme Court judgment, Oshiomhole said, “You now have the time to look into that hotel about which they say Edo money, in tens of billions of naira, was spent, and now they claim it’s just a minority shareholding.
“You have time to revisit all those roads that were built at the worst costs compared to the ones I built and that are still there. Governor Obaseki must come out of hiding to answer these questions.”
Following Oshiomhole’s speech, Okpebholo, speaking to party leaders, youths, market women, civil servants and others, said his administration would set up a commission of inquiry to look into Obaseki’s records.
Appealing against the move, Wike on Sunday evening said probing Obaseki would yield no meaningful results, and could distract the governor from the task of governance.
Wike had visited Benin to inaugurate the New Edo Line Terminal, the second phase of the Edo State Benin Central Bus Terminal.
However, the event was cancelled following the death of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Wike, in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, on Monday, said “If there is someone who would have encouraged Okpebholo to probe and prosecute Obaseki, that person should be me, but what I suffered in ensuring that he returned for a second term and how he paid me back is now in the past.
“We must pass through this process in life, and move on for the development of Edo State. Don’t do it, I’m the one who should have told you to pursue this man, I know what I passed through.”
The FCT minister said personal grievances should not cloud the mission of governance, even though he admitted that Obaseki had treated him unfairly.
“I should be the one to prosecute Obaseki but what is it in life when God has given you a position?
“If it were to be his power, you wouldn’t be here, but God has told him (Obaseki), you don’t have it and I have given it to whom I want to give,” he said.
Addressing Oshiomhole, Wike publicly acknowledged past tensions between them and tendered an apology.
“Leader, I know how pained you are and what you passed through, I know the suffering you suffered and it was like a humiliation to you.
“I was part of it because I humiliated you. I apologised on national TV to you. Sorry for what I did to you, leave it and let them carry their wahala and go.
“Focus on the development of Edo and you will see what you will achieve at the end of the day,” he said.(Punch)
