Attack on Deputy Governor: ‘Let bygones be bygones’ – Edo North traditional rulers beg Odubu *Back his ambition

AGENE GODWIN, Benin
The Otaru of Auchi kingdom, HRH Alhaji Aliru Momoh Ikelebe III has led other prominent traditional rulers in Edo North Senatorial Zone to plead with Edo State Deputy Governor, Dr. Pius Odubu to let bygones be bygones concerning the recent attack on him in Auchi.
The Otaru stated this during his official visit to the Deputy Governor at his office in Benin City. He led other top traditional rulers from across Edo North senatorial district on the reconciliation efforts between Gov. Adams Oshiomhole and his Deputy.
The Otaru extolled the cordial relationship which has existed between Comrade Oshiomhole and Dr. Odubu in the past seven and a half years and counselled that at a time like this, the friendship should not go sour.
He maintained that the development of the state is tied to the oneness of purpose by the duo and prayed Almighty God that nothing should separate the governor and his deputy.
He admonished Odubu to forget the past and continue to remain focused and dedicated to the development of Edo state.
The traditional ruler told the Deputy Governor not to be distracted by mischief makers who may want to trivialise the attack or reduce it to ethnic and senatorial divide, assuring him that as an aspirant like other aspirants vying for the governorship seat, the traditional institution accepts his ambition.
The Otaru thanked the Almighty God that no lives were lost during the unfortunate incident and prayed for the quick recovery of those presently receiving treatment.
The traditional rulers in the senatorial district had earlier resolved to investigate the matter, even as the Otaru of Auchi said youths in his kingdom where the incident happened are not known to own guns.
Speaking to journalists then shortly after a meeting of traditional rulers from the Senatorial District, he had promised that “We will be seeing the Governor and his Deputy over the issue.”
The peace move is as a result of a perceived dispute between the Deputy Governor and the Governor as well as the crisis in the House of Assembly.
The efforts are being made to find lasting solutions to the issues.
The relationship between Oshiomhole and Odubu became strain when the later declared his intention to run in the 2016 Edo state governorship election with the ambition of succeeding his Oshiomhole.
The Otaru said the issues are germane and as traditional rulers they had resolved to look for a way to address them, adding that this informed their decision to go into the matter and try to settle them.
“I can assure you that we have disciplined youth in this community and, they don’t have the guns to go and be shooting at people and we don’t have guns in Auchi. It is a case of internal political conflicts and those conflicts are exclusive to them. I am not aware that any Auchi youth has taken part in that crisis. The incident that happened in Auchi was one that nobody expected to happen and we are as a community are very sympathetic with the deputy governor, but we are investigating who and who would have been responsible.”