Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, has written a letter to Nigeria’s Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu, seeking the immediate arrest of Adams Oshiomhole, national chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC).
The Governor Obaseki-led government also wants the former governor prosecuted by the security agencies, accusing Oshiomhole of constantly disobeying the state government’s orders.
Philip Shaibu, the state deputy governor, told reporters in Abuja on Monday that a petition seeking the arrest of Oshiomhole had been submitted.
He had further threatened to deal with former labour chairman if he kept “disrupting activities” of Edo APC.
Shaibu said the petition would also be submitted to the relevant authorities, including the Department of State Services (DSS) later in the day.
The governor had earlier accused Oshiomhole of plotting to plunge the state into crisis, asking the IGP to call him (Oshiomhole) to order.
Oshiomhole, who was instrumental to the emergence of Obaseki, fell out with the governor shortly before he declared his re-election bid.
Their misunderstanding reached its height last year when the Edo State House of Assembly was divided along the line of their loyalists.
The Edo State chapter of APC said the activities of the suspended National Chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole and his co-dissidents in the proscribed Edo Peoples Movement (EPM) were causing violence and crises in the state.
In a statement, the state’s publicity secretary, Joseph Osagiede, said Oshiomhole and his co-dissidents were hell-bent on pushing the state to the precipice with the intent of creating the impression that law and order had broken down in the state, so that a state of emergency would be declared by the authorities.
According to Osagiede, Oshiomhole’s unholy romance with the EPM has continually threatened the peace in the state, causing bodily harm to Edo people and destruction of property worth millions of naira.
He said, “The APC in Edo State has over time expressed worry over the activities of the suspended National Chairman of the Party, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole in clandestine attempts to cause violence and disrupt peace and safety in Edo State.
“In the past few months, Comrade Oshiomhole, has repeatedly disregarded directives from the state government and other law enforcement agencies, including the Nigerian Police Force and the judiciary.
“The issues took another turn for the worse at the weekend, when Oshiomhole along with his lieutenants in the proscribed Edo Peoples Movement (EPM) resorted to the use of explosives and other dangerous weapons in some parts of the state, thereby endangering the lives of law-abiding citizens.”
Noting that the embattled National Chairman was desperate in his selfish attempt to remove Governor Obaseki, Osagiede said, “In his strong-headed approach to entrenching himself as a godfather in Edo State and oust Governor Godwin out of office, Oshiomhole has continued to fan the embers of division, promoting violence and disaffection among the genuine members and leaders of the APC in the state using imported mercenaries.
“These actions, which by the least are despicable and condemnable, does not in any term represent the glorified position of a National Chairman of a party, who is expected to promote peace and unity. It’s even more painful to know that Edo is the home state of this same man who is ushering it into crisis. Which sane man puts his own house on fire?
“As Governor of Edo State between 2008 and 2016, Comrade Oshiomhole would never have tolerated such acts of lawlessness in his usual bravado and egoistic style of operation.”
He went further to note that “Comrade Oshiomhole has also continued to parade one Colonel David Imuse (rtd) as chairman of the APC in the state, in violation of a court order, restraining Col. Imuse from parading himself or anyone from dealing with him as chairman of the party in Edo State.
“Comrade Oshiomhole orchestrated the State House of Assembly primaries to fix his stooges so as to impeach the governor and when this failed, he masterminded the crisis in the State Assembly, by housing 14 lawmakers-elect in Abuja, who should rather be in Edo representing their people. Though the seats of these dissident lawmakers have been declared vacant by the leadership of the House.”
He blamed Oshiomhole for the lingering crisis in the state APC, adding that “Oshiomhole’s strong-headed approach to entrenching himself as a godfather in Edo State and oust Governor Godwin Obaseki out of office” was responsible for the political unrest in the polity.
DIPO OLADEHINDE
