A former national chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Adams Oshiomhole claims that his relationship with Godwin Obaseki, his estranged political godson and the governor of Edo State, goes beyond simple friendship.
Oshiomhole’s admission came in just two years after he fought with the governor who was already in office while running for re-election.
Despite many efforts made by various parties to settle their differences, the rivalry ultimately prompted Obaseki to leave the APC for the Peoples Democratic Party.
Later, the governor ran for re-election on the PDP platform, where he defeated Oshiomhole’s chosen candidate and the APC’s nominee for governor, Osagie Ize-Iyamu.
Despite the media battles between the Obaseki and Oshiomhole camps, both politicians always behaved politely when they encountered one another at official events.
This was evident last year during the Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Auchi during the birthday celebration of Most Rev. Monsignor Thomas Oleghe, the oldest Catholic priest in Nigeria.
Speaking to journalists after the ceremony, Obaseki said that he didn’t harbor any ill feelings toward his predecessor, only that he didn’t agree with his approach to politics.
Oshiomhole said that Obaseki was still his close brother and friend in an interview with The PUNCH on Friday, despite reports to the contrary.
The Edo State governor added that he still had good recollections of their time spent together.
In his words:
“For me, I have moved on. Obaseki remains my brother and friend. I have had the honour of working with him and God in his infinite power used me to ensure that he became the governor of Edo State.
“Sometimes, God wants us to know that He is the only one that is all-knowing. He is the only one who knows the beginning and the end. When, as human beings, everything seems to add up, we celebrate our intellect. But sometimes, God intervenes just for us to know that we don’t know it all and it is meant to remind us of our limited knowledge of life. He remains my brother and friend.
“When I was governor and he worked under me, my relationship with him was not that of boss and subordinate. He was one of the very few who called me by my nickname. When we travelled together on foreign trips, we didn’t book different suites in a hotel. Instead we shared the same suite in a hotel but slept in separate rooms. That’s how close we were.”
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