Hon.Charles Idahosa, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress was the Political Adviser to the immediate past governor of Edo state, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole for eight years.
In this interview, Idahosa revealed how Oshiomhole turned the table against Chief Tom Ikimi who was already on his way to becoming the APC National Chairman and ensured Chief John Odigie-Oyegun was elected.
Idahosa also spoke about conspiracy by the looters to create insecurity in the country in order to stop President Muhammadu Buhari from being re-elected for second term and truncate the fight against corruption. Excerpts:
A lot has been happening in your party, the APC ahead the 2019 general elections, what is your reaction to the latest development as regards the national chairmanship of the APC?
But some people are trying to read ethnic coloration to it, saying Oshiomhole who is from Edo North is trying to take the job of Chief Oyegun who is a Benin man?
That is rubbish. If they are saying that, then what do you want the people of Esan to say when Oshiomhole stopped Chief Tom Ikimi and supported Oyegun. Those making such comments don’t even know how Oyegun became the APC chairman. What has ethnicity got to do with the national chairmanship of the APC? Oshiomhole is an Edo man just like Oyegun.
Long before now I was one of the party leaders who opposed Odigie-Oyegun, but I am a Benin man like Oyegun. The party was not growing well under him, I felt Oyegun did not do what he was supposed to do to keep the party together. So, this has nothing to do with tribe, if it is ethnicity I will be the first to support Oyegun.
In 2014, myself and Oshiomhole played a very big role in the emergence of Oyegun but a lot of people did not know that. Chief Tom Ikimi was already coasting to victory as the unopposed candidate from Edo state. But I made the State Working Committee to reopen the agenda after we all agreed on Tom Ikimi and it was Oshiomhole who called me to say “please move the motion at the state Working Committee level, we want Oyegun.
Please, Charles do it for me, we want Oyegun”. And I moved the motion which changed the state’s earlier support for Chief Ikimi in favour of Oyegun. Oshiomhole is from Edo North but why did he not say because Oyegun is from Benin, he would not support him? Oshiomhole is a detribalized Nigerian if you know him very well but I can understand that some persons were sponsoring some write ups which do not make sense against him.
You sound so optimistic but there is this fear that the killings across the country may affect the chances of your party?
There is a rumour that some APC leaders may dump the party before the 2019 elections, don’t you think it will affect the chances of your party?
I have heard the same rumour too but we are waiting for them to leave and if they leave the world will not come to an end. But sometimes some of these things are not true. Again it will be difficult for these parties to defeat APC.
Even Secondus, the PDP National Chairman has said that PDP alone cannot wrestle power from the APC. We are watching them until they make the move. So, let’s see what happens but I don’t see any threat in 2019.
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