In a fiery response, the former Governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, has vehemently countered accusations made by the former national Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Adams Oshiomhole. Amosun asserted that Oshiomhole posed the most significant and destructive threat to the party’s existence.
The exchange of words stemmed from Oshiomhole’s remarks at a book launch by the former DG of the APC Governor’s Forum, Salihu Lukman, where he accused Amosun and another former governor, Kayode Fayemi, of orchestrating his ‘undemocratic’ removal as the party chairman due to alleged disloyalty to former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Amosun, in a statement personally signed on Wednesday, criticized Oshiomhole’s penchant for “careless, baseless, and unverified public statements.” He contended that the APC, under Oshiomhole’s leadership, conducted one of the worst primaries in Nigeria’s contemporary political history, leading to his eventual removal as the party’s chairman.
The former Ogun Central Senator expressed disbelief in Oshiomhole’s allegations and accused him of making statements without basis and predicated only on lies. Amosun urged Nigerians not to forget the grave allegations that preceded the primaries and Oshiomhole’s subsequent invitation by the Department of State Service (DSS) to clarify certain issues.
The former Ogun Central Senator said the best bet, at that time, was to dispose of a ‘canon folder that he was and unfortunately still is.” “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.”
On Oshiomole’s allegation that Buhari did nothing when his removal was executed, Amosun said, “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.” Amosun said further,
“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 seat 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.”
Amosun also addressed Oshiomhole’s comments regarding President Muhammadu Buhari’s alleged inaction during his removal, stating that if Oshiomhole wanted to insult the President, he should have done so boldly. He dismissed Oshiomhole’s remarks as cheap and typical of an individual who found himself where he never dreamt of, despite his limitations in education and exposure.
Amosun advised Oshiomhole to carefully reflect on his past and consider the wisdom associated with age and leadership in Africa. He dismissed Oshiomhole’s previous apologies as insincere, emphasizing the need for thoughtful and measured public utterances to avoid dragging innocent people into needless controversies.
