Edo guber: Igbinedion, Okunbo move against Oshiomhole’s 2nd term bid

 THERE is fresh tension in Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, in Edo State, following alleged plot by the former Governor of Edo State, Chief Lucky Igbinedion, business mogul, Captain Hosa Okunbor and the South-South Vice-Chairman of the party, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, to scuttle Governor Adams Oshiomhole’s second term bid if he fails to drop his deputy, Dr Pius Odubu, by the end of this month.

Going by Oshiomhole’s style, however, he may not want to be intimidated on the issue and may decide to pick Odubu, with whom he enjoyed close relationship in the past three years. Unfortunately for Odubu, he has so far failed to receive the endorsement of the leaders of his party as running mate to Oshiomhole for the 2012 governorship election.

Vanguard learnt that Pastor Ize-Iyamu, who was earlier said to have ambition for the deputy governorship position  is not interested is not intrested in it. He, however, maintained his doggedness in rejecting Odubu as Oshiomhole’s running mate in the 2012 governorship election.

Vanguard was reliably informed that former Governor Igbinedion and Cap. Okunbor have urged the governor to drop Odubu if he desires to get their full support in his second term bid.  Oshiomhole was said not to have been happy with the way the issue was handled by some party leaders even after he had appealed to them to be calm and allow a caucus of the party make the decision at the appropriate time.

It was further gathered that it may even be difficult for the governor to drop Odubu at this stage, following reports that the revered Benin monarch, Oba Erediauwa, had admonished the governor, during a recent visit by the governor and his deputy to the palace of the Oba, to “carry Odubu along”.

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