As various? political interpretations are being given the? recent visit of former president and the immediate past chairman, Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, the Edo State chapter of the party? says? the visit by the elder statesman was just for? fulfilment of protocol and not endorsement of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole of Action Congress of Nigeria, A C N, as been speculated in certain quarters.
?The state publicity secretary of PDP in the state,? Pharm. Matthew Urhoghide,? who cleared the air in Benin yesterday in press statement made available to LEADERSHIP,? said the visit of the former President must not be misconstrue, and urged PDP supporters not lose sleep over the visit.
Part of statement reads:? “ I wish to make it clear that the visit of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, ex-President of Nigeria and ex-Chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees to Edo State Government House must not be misconstrued as support for Governor Adams Oshiomhole. Chief Obasanjo transited the Benin Airport en-route Delta State to attend the birthday party of his long-time friend and colleague in the army Colonel Mike Okwechime”.
“As an elder statesman who is versed in official protocol, Chief Obasanjo thought it appropriate to pay a courtesy visit on the governor of Edo State. The visit which lasted for just about ten minutes must not be mistaken by Edo State PDP members and indeed the people of Edo State to mean endorsement for the governor.
“Governor Oshiomhole is well known to the ex-President as two-term president of the NLC at the same time that Chief Obasanjo was president (1999 and 2007). These two have interacted closely at various times during this period. Chief Obasanjo, from his past utterances, has not been impressed about the character of Comrade Oshiomhole as NLC leader. We are also aware that Chief Obasanjo has never used kind and adulating words to describe Governor Oshomhole and his administration in the past three and a half years. This is not the time he can so do. There is not much we can say on this as Nigerians know better.
“This position will hopefully be made apparent when Chief Obasanjo addresses the people of Edo State at the Presidential Rally to conclude the gubernatorial election in the state.
“It is common knowledge that Governor Oshiomhole will play the visit inordinately as he does all such visits. We recall his visit to ex-Governor Osunbor and how he deceitfully played it to mean that Governor Osunbor had decamped to the CAN,” he added.