$300,000-payment-for-guber-ticket scam: Orbih has heaped the moral burden on Obaseki, Shaibu, says Eholor

Human Rights activist and Founder of One Love Foundation, Chief Dr Patrick Eholor, said that the Vice National Chairman (South-south) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Dan Orbih has heaped the moral burden on Edo State Governor, Governor Godwin Obaseki and his deputy, Philip Shaibu in the matter of contribution of $300,000 by Shaibu to Obaseeki purportedly to pay for PDP guber ticket in 2020.

Orbih had blown the lid on what transpired at a meeting in Benin with some PDP governors on resolution of the crisis in the party with Obaseki and Shaibu in attendance during which he (Orbih) confronted the duo on the issue of the purported payment of $3m for the PDP guber ticket.

Orbih, in a recent viral video, was heard telling associates how the decision to allow Obaseki run on the PDP platform was consummated.

He also recounted steps taken by the National Headquarters of the party to resolve the problem between the Legacy PDP and the Governor Obaseki faction of the party.

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According to Orbih: “A committee was set up by the party comprising Arthur Okowa, the Governor of Delta State who is also the vice-presidential candidate (of the PDP), Govs Bala Mohammed of Bauchi, Darius Ishaku of Taraba and Samuel Ortom of Benue.

“Ortom was the Chairman of the Committee. We met in the early hours of the morning, feeling that we have addressed the issue in Edo State.

“It was decided even though it was not fair to me and those Obaseki met in the party: they said Obaseki should produce 13 members of the House of Assembly; the PDP legacy should produce 11 members.

“The senatorial candidate of Edo South was agreed by the party at the national level that one should be given to Ogbeide Ihama (who had virtially emerged as the guber candidate of the party); one should be given to legacy PDP and the remaining one to Obaseki.

“The House of Representatives: 5 seats were given to legacy PDP, 4 to Obaseki.

“We agreed, came out of that meeting and we were celebrating the resolution of the problem in Edo State.

“After that meeting, it was agreed that we should meet in Benin.

“I took a flight to Benin. the Governor and the Deputy came to Benin and for the first time in the meeting, I looked at Governor Obaseki’s face and I challenged him.

“I said I have heard the stories that you said you bought the ticket of the PDP.

“I asked him: did money exchange hands between us and yourself on your coming to PDP? He said no.

“I said, but your Deputy, Philip Shuaibu, seated here, told me that you asked him to contribute $300,000 to settle the issue of your coming to PDP.

“I said Philip Shuaibu said he gave you $300,000 to add to the money to plead with myself and Ogbeide Ihama.

“I said Governor Obaseki, can you tell us whether you gave one Kobo to myself and Ogbeide Ihama? He said no and he said he did not send anybody to give us money.

“I said to Philip Shuaibu: you are seated here, did you not tell us that you gave $300,000 to Obaseki to add to the money to settle the ticket for PDP?

“And he (Phillip Shuaibu) said he did, in the presence of Obaseki; and the other Governors looked at one another and shook their heads.”

Chief Eholor in his latest riposte to the saga, said: “When you get into “dem-say-you-say” scenario, just gather all the people involved together and put it directly to them. Let them explain one another in the presence of one another.

“Chief Dan Orbih nailed it, because he confronted them in the presence of both of them.

“That’s how men should act.$300,000 bribery allegation: Philip’s Tepid Press Release

“The Press Statement with the headline, ‘Shaibu Rejects $300,000 Bribery Allegation’, is one of the most tepid, lukewarm, unprofessional disavowals I have ever seen in the history of press releases.

“Apart from the predictable poor and unprofessional language, how can a press statement coming from the Deputy Governor be released without any signature?

“This goes to show that the release was either written by a roadside hatchet man or this is the much the Deputy Governor can muster from his professional media aides.

“And again, to think this poorly-scripted release was the much they could write after many days of the trending video goes to show a link in their distress.

“Without being glib about it, anyone who reads the release would not fail to understand that the writer tried unsuccessfully to keep Philip Shaibu from the rage of horror of the vindictive Governor.

“How the writer tried to sneak in ‘my boss’ to cool tempers into the narrative is laughable. What has ‘my boss’, those comforting words, got to do with the central issue?

“Apart from the belief that maybe Philip was ‘pressured’ by Governor Godwin Obaseki through a third party to release the statement, which was done without finesse, candour or professionalism, nothing is in the empty press release.

“It is as empty as a haunted house. Even a student of politics, law or journalism, or even ordinary citizen will not fail to understand that a trendy video cannot be said to be a rumour as claimed in the purposeless press release.

“Names were mentioned by the PDP South South Chairman, Chief Dan Orbih, who were there present when he openly asked Philip about what he told him about the $300,000 bribery allegation.

“So what exactly is the stray about when the issue can be resolved through an investigation from those present at the said meeting?

“The moral burden of the matter is on both the governor and his deputy. They have been accused to speak out, not this sneak release that is unsigned or the cemetery silence from the governor; for silence is considered consent.

“Philip Shaibu cannot wish the Edo State people are all fools in trying to deflect the issue. No one said he sent his ‘boss’ to deliver bribe money. What was said is what he told Chief Dan Orbih; that the governor collected $300,000 to add to what he needed to use to pay for their joint ticket. This is the core issue, not the unconvincing statements meant to save his ‘job’ rather than to be accountable to the Edo State people.”