Former Governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, has described former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Adams Oshiomhole, as “the biggest and most destructive threat” to the ruling party.
Amosun declared on Wednesday that Oshiomhole, a former Edo State Governor, almost destroyed APC, and his removal as the National Chairman brought sanity to the party.
Oshiomhole, representing Edo North in the Senate, on Tuesday, revealed that Amosun, former Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, and others were instrumental to his removal as the National Chairman of APC because of his (Oshiomhole) closeness to President Bola Tinubu.
But, in a swift reaction, Amosun, in a statement he signed, attacked the former Edo Governor, saying his narrative was not only fraught with lies, but also he (Oshiomhole) did not boast the requisite integrity to say the truth.
Amosun said APC conducted worst primaries in Nigeria’s history under Oshiomhole’s watch, describing him as “APC’s biggest, most destructive threat.
“It is not in doubt that I have participated fully in the formation and sustenance of our party, the APC, and I can boldly say that the party under Adams Oshiomhole conducted one of the worst primaries in the history of Nigeria’s contemporary politics and ended up shopping for his own enemies, leading to his eventual removal as Chairman of our party.
“Nigerians should not be in a hurry to forget the allegations that preceded the conduct of those primaries and his eventual invitation by the Department of State Service, DSS, to clarify certain grave allegations.
“If anyone was in doubt that Senator Oshiomhole posed the biggest and most destructive threat to the existence of the APC at that time, and the party’s best bet was to dispose of a canon folder that he was and, unfortunately, still is, his utterances and grandstanding yesterday at an occasion to find solutions to our democratic and party challenges, would have cleared such mindset,” he said.
Oshiomhole, who spoke at the book launch of the former APC National Vice Chairman, North-West, Salihu Lukman, said that the party lost the Taraba State governorship election even though it invested N800 million into the election in 2019.
According to him, the need to spend N800 million in Imo, Ogun, Kwara and Taraba ststes was because they had strong opposition leaders in those states.
For Imo State, he said that there was Senator Rochas Okorocha, who was against the candidate of the party; Kwara had former Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki and in Ogun State, APC had Amosun who worked against the candidate of the party, Dapo Abiodun.
Below is full text of Amosun’s statement:
*AMUSE YOURSELF NOT THE PUBLIC:
AMOSUN TO OSHIOMHOLE
It’s been a struggle since yesterday on what to make of the ‘tales by moonlight’ that Senator Adams Oshiomhole treated the audience of Dr. Salihu Lukman, to at his book launch, “APC and Transition Politics”, in Abuja.
This apparent struggle was not for want of a proportional response to his deliberate drivel, but because not only was his story fraught with lies, but also because he did not boast the requisite integrity to say the truth.
Besides, it is not in my character to join issues with people I consider qualified enough to be referred to as both Leaders of our party, APC and of this great country, Nigeria, to which I believe Senator Oshiomhole belongs.
However, giving his antecedents and penchant for careless and most times, baseless and unverified public statements, and also considering my duty to the country and the public in particular, it will be uncharitable if I fail to put the records straight.
What Senator Oshiomhole was alleged to have said, apart from being far from the truth, is a calculated attempt to present water while drinking wine. The Yoruba adage says “if you let a mad man bury his mum the way it pleases him, he could roast her for a meal.” At that point, the community is to blame for his choice.
Indeed, listening to him yesterday, his utterances represent some inherent inadequacy, which he vented, not just at inauspicious times, but without basis and predicated only on lies to hoodwink the unsuspecting.
It is not in doubt that I have participated fully in the formation and sustenance of our party, the APC, and I can boldly say that the party under Adams Oshiomhole conducted one of the worst primaries in the history of Nigeria’s contemporary politics and ended up shopping for his own enemies, leading to his eventual removal as Chairman of our party. Nigerians should not be in a hurry to forget the allegations that preceded the conduct of those primaries and his eventual invitation by the Department of State Service, DSS, to clarify certain grave allegations.
If anyone was in doubt that Senator Oshiomhole posed the biggest and most destructive threat to the existence of the APC at that time, and the party’s best bet was to dispose of a canon folder that he was and unfortunately still is, his utterances and grandstanding yesterday at an occasion to find solutions to our democratic and party challenges, would have cleared such mindset.
If he wanted to insult our leader, President Muhammadu Buhari, he could have come out boldly to do so. But his subtle attempt to pass snide remarks at him failed the simple test of loyalty because the former president also moved from his own party to merge with other like-minds to form the APC.
Also, if he is seeking favour from the presidency, why not come out and do so? But to tell barefaced lies that, “You are working for your paymaster in Lagos, paymaster in Bourdillon,” is cheap but typical of an individual, who suddenly found himself where he never dreamt of, despite his obvious limitations – education and exposure.
If the public will remember, soon after Senator Oshiomhole was sworn in as a Senator, he allegedly said members of the 9th Senate had vandalized their offices before leaving, only for him to eat the humble pie and made to apologise later when it was obvious that the allegations were baseless.
My honest advice to him is to carefully and soberly sit down to take stock of his past so that it will continue to serve as a guide for him in his future public utterances rather than dragging the names of innocent people into a needless controversy because in Africa, age and leadership are associated with wisdom.
This is also why I have consistently brushed aside and intentionally scoffed at his tongue-in-cheek apology, which he had extended to me several times. I am now convinced it was not genuine.
In the final analysis, BACKGROUND MATTERS!
Senator Ibikunle Amosun, CON, FCA
Abeokuta, Ogun State
20 December, 2023
