A former Governor of Edo State, Prof Oserheimen Osunbor said he decided to dump the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC) because the PDP does not have the interest of the people at heart.
Speaking at a rally where he formally decamped to the APC, Tuesday, Osunbor said: “sometimes in February 2012, I reflected on my journey in politics and realized that the people in my party at that time (PDP) did not have the interest of the people of Edo State in mind and that was why during that election I cast my vote in favor of the re-election of the Comrade Governor. I told all my supporters across Edo State to give their votes to him and what did we see? 18 over 18.
“I did that because I was convinced that the Comrade Governor has the interest of the ordinary people at heart but the people in my former party, the PDP, didn’t have the interest of the common man at heart.”
The former Governor said, “In the local government elections, I supported the ACN as it were then but and all the while I have been supporting the APC and the election of 2 weeks ago, I cast my vote for the candidate of APC and I told my supporters to vote for APC candidates. I also reflected and saw that within APC are my friends. Why should I be in exile while my friends are in APC, so I decided to come home from political exile to realign with the Comrade Governor and APC in Edo State. The government at the Federal is APC and the Government at the State is APC, what will you benefit if you vote for PDP? He asked.
In his response, Governor Adams Oshiomhole said, “today for me is historic for several reasons. This is the first formal public display of the bond of unity, friendship and comradeship between Prof. Osunbor and Comrade Oshiomhole. I am sure you all know that I took over from Prof. Osunbor under very hostile condition and today it is to his credit, his large heart and my own purity of heart that whereas governors who smoothly change power today are at war against each other in many parts of Nigeria, in Edo State, the immediate past and the present are bonded together by the broom in a common commitment to work and sustain positive changes in our state and indeed in our great country.”
Oshiomhole added, “Prof. Osunbor, I want to thank you for your courage and for putting the bigger issue before the smaller issue and like you said demonstrating publicly what you have always done with us privately. May God bless your decision and all those who have come with you in their renewed hope in our mission of change.
“For me, it is a fulfillment of a long dream. Like he said, Prof. has shown a large heart. For many people, once you have a little quarrel they never forgive and politicians are worse for that and like he recalled, before my second reelection, Prof. Osunbor was there for me not secretly, he told everybody to vote for me and he made a statement that will be recorded in our history.
“There are many who will say, ‘I will never forgive him’ but that is not Prof. For me, your coming has not just completely healed wounds, it has strengthened us and it will make a very important mark in the heart of many of our young people who should learn the spirit of forgiveness, the spirit of downplaying personal issues and supporting the bigger question.
He continued: “The election that took place last week has already settled one major problem that we have had in this state, the problem of political godfatherism. That is now buried forever and history will record it in our favor that together we buried godfatherism in our state and in the country. We now have a state that will be led by younger generation of leaders whose actions and interest in politics is about development. We have radically moved away from politics of exclusion to politics of inclusion. From politics of who do you know to politics of everybody matters.”
While admitting the Professor into the APC family, Oshiomhole assured that a bigger ceremony will be held at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium to receive him.
