- Hon. Charles Idahosa blamed Governor Obaseki for the PDP’s defeat in Edo’s governorship election, citing his inability to manage people effectively
- Idahosa dismissed election rigging allegations, asserting the process was fair and criticizing media bias towards Obaseki’s administration and shortcomings
Hon. Charles Idahosa, a former member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustees (BoT) and now a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has blamed Governor Godwin Obaseki for the PDP’s defeat in the September 21 governorship election in Edo State.
Idahosa stated that Obaseki’s inability to manage people and perceived ingratitude contributed to the party’s loss.
In an interview in Benin, Idahosa dismissed allegations that the election was rigged, asserting that the process was free and fair. He criticized a media section for allegedly being biased in Obaseki’s favour and turning a blind eye to his administrative shortcomings.
Idahosa recalled that before the election, he had predicted that Obaseki was growing frustrated because, for the first time, he was contesting an election without the full support he had previously enjoyed.
He noted that when Obaseki defected from the APC to the PDP, he alienated many people within both parties, creating divisions such as the “Legacy PDP” and the “New PDP.”
On the decision to challenge the election outcome in court, Idahosa said, “What is happening now is that they are just looking for reasons, but I want to remind them that going to court is part of the electoral process.
Obaseki was taken to court twice; when he won the election in 2016, the case got to the Supreme Court. When he won again in 2020, the case got to the Supreme Court so there is nothing wrong with going to the court. I feel sorry for the person who got the collateral damage. “
He said the signs were there that the PDP would not win the election. “Here was a man who deprived 14 elected lawmakers of being sworn in. We are talking of 14 constituencies out of 24, and you think their constituents, their relatives, and their friends will clap for you.
“Here is a man. NJC (National Judicial Commission) cleared eight judges, and you sat down in your office and cancelled three. He drove away all the leaders who worked for him.
“PDP leaders came to Benin for a rally, he knows the tradition but instead of taking them to visit the Oba of Benin, he took them to a private residence whereas when the Vice President came with the APC candidate, he visited the Oba of Benin and this was few days to the election. “
How did he expect to win the election with all these controversies surrounding him? There was nobody that he did not deal with.”