Godwin Obaseki, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the September 10 gubernatorial election in Edo state has dared his opponents to go-ahead and prove he is a stooge to Governor Adams Oshiomhole as they claim.

Obaseki who is an integral part of the APC government over the past 8 years refused to debunk any such statement describing him as a stooge but choosing instead to call out Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) opponent, to prove he (Ize-Iyamu) is not also a stooge of the Igbinedion family.

Speaking to the Vanguard in an interview, Obaseki said he will rather be an Oshiomhole stooge than be one of those who “steal the commonwealth” of the Edo people.

“If I was a stooge for the past eight years and that led to the level of development that we have, and if being a stooge will lead to the progress of my people, I will rather be a stooge to my people than being a non-stooge that will steal the commonwealth,” he said.

Obaseki dared the PDP to highlight their achievements in government over the past ten years and compare it to what the Oshiomhole government has been able to achieve in two terms.

“Someone should tell me in specific terms what the Oshiomhole administration has not done in the last seven and a half years. So what is wrong about propagating and continuing with those strides? We must redefine our politics from these brain dead hawks in our politics who think they can continue to destroy and distract our people. Another issue is, what did they do with political authority?

“Being in the back room of this administration in the last seven and a half years, I played my part to direct the policies. I pointed to the Comrade Governor the direction we should go. Did that make him a stooge? People should try and understand the logic. Poor education which has not allowed them do other things in their lives led them to this claim to being a stooge. But let me tell them, if with all we have achieved under Oshiomhole, I am a stooge, I accept. Then let Ize-Iyamu also accept that he is a stooge to Lucky Igbinedion and let him take the blame for the failure of the PDP in the ten years,” Obaseki concluded.

Mr Godwin Obaseki currently serves as the Chairman of the Edo State Government’s Economic and Strategy Team (EST), a position he has held since 2009.

Isime Esene