EDO State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, has denied receiving the congratulatory letters written by the duo of former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Adams Oshiomhole, and the candidate of the APC in the last Edo State governorship election, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu.

Obaseki, who spoke to his supporters along Ring Road, Benin, on Tuesday, said a sincere congratulatory message ought to have been written directly to him and not shared on social media.

He noted that, if the authors were serious, they would have “printed them (messages) on their letterhead papers with their signatures on them, rather than posting it on the internet.”

According to him, Edo would never fall for such ‘cheap messages’ packaged as congratulatory letters.

He added, “The APC in Abuja is being run just like what they did in Edo when they were in power.”

Obaseki also said, “It is clear that there is a problem in Nigeria. The country has money but until we change our mindset that taxpayers’ money must be used for the people and not for very few, the country will continue to wallow in crises.

We have to pray that what happened in Edo will not happen in Abuja. The only party that has the right people for the job is the People’s Democratic Party, in 2023. Forward ever, backward never, Edo must move forward,” he added.

Josephine Okereke, the wife of the newspaper vendor shot and killed by a Department of State Services operatives attached to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has disowned her husband’s family over their demand for N500m compensation.

Josephine spoke at a press conference in Abuja on Thursday.

The family of Ifeanyichukwu Okereke had written to Gbajabiamila, demanding N500m.

Lawyer to the family, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), in a letter dated November 23, 2020, said he was given the mandate to write the letter by the father of the deceased, Okorie Okereke; and the younger brother to the deceased, Destiny Okereke.

The DSS had last week arrested the operative, Abdullahi Hassan, who shot Okereke while Gbajabiamila had also visited the family of the deceased and promised to ensure that they do not suffer.

However, the family demanded more, adding that nothing could bring the dead vendor back to life.

The widow, however, said she was not aware of the pre-litigation process, urging the Speaker to ignore the family fulfil his promises to her and her two children.