Soures have given insight to why Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki, was attacked by some aggrieved youths of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at Irrua, Esan Central Local Government Area during the weekend.
According to Nigerian Tribune, Obaseki wasn’t attacked by the youths, who pelted his convoy with sachet water over his alleged plot to impose the current state Commissioner for Finance, Mr John Inegbedion as the senatorial candidate of the party in Edo central.
Rather the paper quotes sources as saying, the real reason for the display of anger was the high level of neglect the zone has suffered.
A source who chose to maintain anonymity, explained to Nigerian Tribune, that Edo Central, the zone of former Chairman, Board of Trustees of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Tony Anenih and former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chief Tom Ikimi come remains underdeveloped under the APC government.
He decried the fact that, despite the senatorial district voting agianst one of its own, Mr John Yakubu, the running mate to, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, the PDP governorship candidate in the 2016 election in support of Obaseki, the APC government has brought little or no development to the area.
He further explained that complaints from youths to Obaseki, asking that he works on the infrastructural development of the area had been ignored.
The source further said, the people had merely waited for an opportunity to vent their pent-up anger on the governor which readily came as a result of his attempt to impose Inegbedion as the party’s senatorial candidate on the district.
The source said: “It is a known fact that Edo Central is grossly marginalized. There are no motorable roads, no water, good schools. Everything is in decay and the government doesn’t care. We voted for the APC so as to be in the mainstream but even then, the area is in serious decay. There is no major ongoing project there. Obaseki has not deemed it fit to attempt to fulfil any of his campaign promises he made to Esan people. The youths were just waiting for any slight opportunity to pounce.”
While the governor is reportedly rooting for a consensus candidate in the person of Inegbedion, the youths insisted on direct primaries between the finance commissioner and Chief Francis Inegbeneki.
During the assault, the youths reportedly chanted songs of abandonment, marginalisation and no, to the imposition of a candidate.
Another party source from the district who also would not want his name in print said the trouble started when the youths met with the governor and pleaded to have an audience with him but the governor declined, saying his plans were to meet the leaders.
With a dismissive wave of the hand, the Edo State APC chairman, Mr Anslem Ojezua explained that the assault was not a result of the perceived marginalization of the area by Obaseki.
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