Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, yesterday, admonished a former two-time governor of old Bendel State and member, Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr Samuel Ogbemudia, to retire from politics and be father to all Bendelites.
This comes as his counterpart in Delta State, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, expressed his support for the on-going war against corruption by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The duo spoke at a lecture organised as part of the 83 birthday of Ogbemudia in Benin City. Okowa delivered the lectured entitled, “Towards Sustainable Democracy in Nigeria: The Role of Political Parties”.
Oshiomhole, the Chief Host at the occasion, listed the achievements of Ogbemudia to include the growth of the old Bendel State and faulted the decision by the elder statesman to participate in the on-going e-registration of PDP members in the state, positing that rather than pitch tenth with a political party, it would be in the best interest of the generality of the people of both Edo and Delta states to tap from his wealth of experience irrespective of their political parties.
Said he: “You have rightly said that at your age you have reasoned beyond a petty politician to that of a statesman who is concerned not about electoral victory of a party but about who can help to continue to develop the state that you so dearly love. If you are convinced as I am sure you, that at your age it is Edo that matters, that it is the quality of the individual not the party that counts, the only way you can play that role is not to be detained within a particular political party, so that you will be father of all”.
In his lecture: “The Okowa stressed the need for due due process to be followed in the fight against corruption, asserting “ the party in government must be seen to drive the process with sincerity of purpose to ensure buy in by all. I suggest therefore that in the fight against corruption, the norm will be for the anti graft agency to first conclude its investigations, indict persons involved, then arrest them and immediately prosecute in a court of competent jurisdiction”.
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