• Court ‘ll decide fate of 14 lawmakers-elect – Governor
Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday, charged Governor Godwin Obaseki to run an inclusive government in his second term as the father of the state.
The National Chairman, Uche Secondus, gave the charge, when he received Obaseki, who was at the party’s secretariat, Wadata Plaza, on a “thank you” visit.
Secondus urged the governor to accommodate everyone including those who offended him, during the period of electioneering.
The PDP chairman noted that Governor Obaseki’s greatest legacy to bring everyone on board will be his greatest legacy.
“My advise for you is that the election is over, the expectations are very high. You must now show the experience you came with from the private sector.
“In the political world, it is your ability to lead everyone together especially in this your last tenure; it is important to make sure that there are three arms of government – the executive which you head, even though you are the overall boss, make sure that the legislative arm, those who have offended you, who ran helter skelter, bring them back, they are your children.
“You are the father of Edo, bring them on board and work with all of them because that will be your legacy. It is not money or anything else but your ability to bring everybody on board to work with you and I am quite sure that Edo people are ready even those from the other party, who are willing to come, let them come.”
Obaseki, who said he was at the secretariat to thank the party leadership for their support during his political travails pledged his continued loyalty to the opposition party. He expressed optimism that the PDP will in control of Edo and the entire South South geo-political zone.
On the fate of the 14 members-elect of the Edo State, House of Assembly, who were yet to be sworn-in, he said it was only the court that could decide.
“We have a dissident group that people elected and refused to be inaugurated, they were not prevented. They were listening to their godfather who kept hoping and promising that he would unconstitutionally get the state House of Assembly to reissue a proclamation even after the court had settled the matter.For more than 180 days they did not come. They refused to represent their people. Those seats became vacant; that’s what the constitution says.They went to court after their seats were declared vacant by the Speaker. There is nothing I can do that at this time.”