The Senator representing Edo North Senatorial District and former Governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole, says the state’s incumbent governor, Godwin Obaseki, remains his friend despite their political and party differences.
Oshiomhole made this known while giving his goodwill message at the ongoing 2023 Alaghodaro Summit in Benin, theme, “The Edo Story: Creating Shared Opportunities into the Future.”
Goldennewsng reports that the Alaghodaro summit is held yearly by the Edo Government, in partnership with the private sector, to mark the anniversary of Obaseki in office.
Speaking at the event, which offers the state government the opportunity to showcase the progress of Obaseki’s administration, Oshiomhole expressed appreciation to the governor for hosting the Alaghodaro summit and inviting him.
The senator stated that it is essential for the world to know that he and Obaseki are friends, not enemies.
Oshiomhole argued that being friends doesn’t mean they can’t disagree or have different opinions but must treat themselves with love and care.
He said, “Regardless of what people say, we should not give the impression that different options translate to war.
People don’t need the tears of leaders joining them to lament but taking bold steps to solve the problem facing the people.
“Having the privilege as a governor, I have high regard for the Office of the Governor and the governor himself.
“To have all the civilian governors elected in the state present here today speaks volumes.
“We definitely belong to different political parties but the sum total of those parties is not equal to Edo State.
“What this means to me is that we can politic differently but never have doubt about the shared commitment to the citizens of the state that should be the greatest in Nigeria.
“The language of leaders matters to followers. What defines democracy is that of ideology, even if we share the same destination but the route to get there may differ, it should not be a matter of war.
“I thought the world should know that Godwin is my friend. It doesn’t matter; being friends does not mean we cannot debate or disagree but being friends means we treat ourselves with love and care and bring our followers together.
I am happy that with all the challenges in Nigeria, Nigeria is greater than the challenges.”
