Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo state has asked the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu, Director General of the Department of State Security, Yusuf Bichi and other security agencies to arrest and prosecute the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole for what he called “breach of the laws of Edo state.”
The Edo state deputy governor, Hon. Philip Shuiabu who made the demand on February 3, submitted petition to the DSS and the IGP to without delay effect the arrest of Oshiomhole.
Speaking to journalists in Abuja after a steering committee meeting of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) on good governance, the Edo state deputy governor said the APC National Chairman violated the laws of Edo state government by holding political rallies, and therefore should not go unpunished.
Asked to comment on the recent crisis in Edo State where Oshiomhole was prevented from holding a rally, in the state, Shuiabu said, “l am in Abuja to meet with the Inspector General of Police.
“I have a petition to the IG and to the Director General of DSS to the effect that Comrade Adams Oshiomhole be arrested by the Police and be arrested by the DSS for the breakdown of law and order that he has consistently perpetrated in Edo state.
“We banned rallies, the IG in a letter also suspended rallies. He disobeyed the orders of the state government, he disobeyed the orders of the IG and feels that he is above the law. For us, we have officially come now to drop our petition with the IG to the effect that Oshiomhole is not above the law, he should be arrested for violating the state government’s order. He was a governor before and he knows that nobody violated his orders as governor, because it is not about him, it is about the state.
“When everybody disobeys laws, then the country becomes a Banana Republic, God forbid. And that is why we are saying that the IG and the DG of DSS should arrest him and interrogate him for breaching the peace and disobeying government orders and security orders for rallies.
“So for us, when the suspended national chairman of the party continually disobeys the law, when opposition party chairmen do same, he becomes a reference point, so that is why I am here on behalf of the state government to submit a petition to the IG to the effect that the suspended chairman, Comrade Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole be arrested and prosecuted for breaching the peace of Edo state.”
The deputy governor denied the rumours that his principal, Gov Obaseki will soon be defecting to opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
“We are not leaving APC. The governor and I are not leaving APC. Why are we leaving APC?
“That statement has been coming on and on. I can categorically tell you that the governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki and I are in APC and we are not leaving APC. The party is stronger today because of the governor of Edo state and when we read such things on the social media, what we just say is that this is another fake news. We are not leaving APC. APC is our party. We formed it and we are solidly on ground to promote good governance and the governor is doing very well,” he said.
When reminded that several PDP bigwigs in and outside the state have taken turns to endorse the governor and this is a sign of the impending defection, he said “No. They should read it the other way. That is a sign that even other parties are accepting and agreeing to the fact that the governor of Edo state is working and he should be emulated and that is why he is having the endorsements.
“This is the first time the APC and non-APC people are endorsing the governor and I think it should be a pride to everybody. So, when you talk about leaving the party, it is just one of those guys trying to create a problem.”
On the allegation that he betrayed the APC National Chairman, he said, “the issue of betrayal is relative. Whoever has said I betrayed Oshiomhole, I don’t know what they meant by that. Oshiomhole remains my father and I remain his son although presently we are on different pages politically and it is bound to happen. It doesn’t change the fact that he remains my father and it doesn’t change the fact that I remain his son but what is critical is that we have disagreed on the issue of the governance of Edo state.
“I am supporting Gov. Obaseki because he has not changed what we believe in. He has not deviated from what Comrade Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole started and the foundation he laid. We promised during the electioneering that we were going to build on it and that we will take what he did to the next level and that is exactly what the governor of Edo state is doing. What Oshiomhole has seen that is different, I do not know but as for me and my household and my supporters, we remain committed to the governor. As per politics, l can say we are not on the same page but as a family, he remains my father.”
However, when the Chief Press Secretary, the APC National Chairman, Mr. Simeon Ebegbulam was contacted for his reaction, he declined to comment on the issue.
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