Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, who will bow out of office after eight years, has made it clear that he did not intend to be any kind of godfather to the incoming governor, whom he helped to win the recent governorship poll under the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Answering questions from news men at the Presidential Villa, Abuja today, Monday, Oshiomhole said that having dealt a fatal and final blow on godfatherism in the state’s politics, he would not want to be identified with it.
Oshiomhole said that the governor-elect, Godwin Obaseki, will not be under compulsion to be loyal to him, saying his loyalty should be to the people of the state.
“I am not the state, I am only one out of about four million Edo people. So his obligation and his loyalty should be to the people of Edo State.
“The oath of office he is going to subscribe to says that he will defend the Constitution of Nigeria, he will do everything to uplift the quality of life of Edo people.
“Nothing in his oath of office will include ‘I shall not betray my predecessor’ because I have no interest to be betrayed.
“For me, I have presided over Nigeria Labour Congress for eight years and I had a successor, there was no story of me having conflict with my successor because conflict only arise when you refuse to accept that when your tenure is over, it is over.”
Oshiomhole said that there is nothing wrong in him campaigning for Obaseki during the campaign period.
He savored the moment he presented the staff of office to the new Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, saying that it remained the greatest moment of his eight years tenure as the governor
He said that the excitement he derived from the event was next to the one he experienced when he was signing his oath of office at the beginning of his first term in 2008.
“It was a great moment for me when I presented the staff of office to the new Oba of Benin. I was full of excitement that was only next to the one I experienced when I was signing my oath of office.” [myad]
