There are indications that ahead of Edo State governorship primaries, scheduled for June, 2020, five influential commissioners might have concluded plans to resign from the cabinet if the state governor, Godwin Obaseki.
According CompassNG sources, the reason behind their decision to dump the governor was not unconnected with the internal squabbles within the Obaseki administration.
According to a competent source from government circles, who pleaded anonymity, “the planned resignation may not be unconnected with the power-play by some ‘cabal’ in the Obaseki-led administration, who have reportedly shut out every other person in the scheme of things.
“This is not going down well with many of the appointees; especially now that the governor appears to be helpless. And the commissioners now see their resignation as a way of getting back at the forces by aligning with Oshiomhole’s faction of the APC to stop the governor’s reelection bid.”
Obaseki’s self-isolation after contact with someone who later turned positive for COVID-19, was said to have heightened the internal squabbles with his government and faction of the APC; which led to the deputy governor, Phillip Shaibu and the Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Barrister Osarodion Ogie, taking charge of government affairs at the time.
The planned resignation of the commissioners is coming shortly after the Chief of Staff, CoS, to the governor, Taiwo Akerele, threw in the towel over what he called “administrative and governance grounds.”
But Akerele’s resignation has been attributed to “powerful forces in the administration who have continually undermined his office financially and politically in his Akoko-Edo local government.”
In a reaction, the Special Adviser to Obaseki on Media, Communication and Strategy, Mr. Crusoe Osagie, said, “The governor is yet to receive any official communication of the resignation of Chief of Staff, Taiwo Akerele.”
He added that although the governor is yet to received any formal communication to the effect of Akerele’s resignation, it is, however, his personal decision.
He said, “However, whenever the resignation letter gets to the governor, he would accept it, and he wishes Akerele all the best in his future endeavours.”
