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Why I Was Illegally Removed From Office – Oshiomhole
Former APC national chairman, Adams Oshiomhole has disclosed details regarding his removal from office, citing a rift with the party’s governors.
Speaking at the launch of a book titled “APC and Transition Politics” by Salihu Lukman, a former national vice chairman (North-west) of the party, Oshiomhole pointed to Lukman and several governors as key figures behind the campaign that led to his “unlawful” ousting.
He specifically accused former governors Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti and Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State for orchestrating his removal.
Oshiomhole alleged that these governors resorted to various illicit methods to oust him after his attempts to establish party supremacy.
He said “Lukman wrote several letters, dismissing my leadership without calling me. When you ride on the back of a tiger, there is only one destination. Lukman was appointed undemocratically by the governors’ forum.
“I was not consulted—I was a governor. We were told this is the new DG of the APC governors forum.
“Lukman was there when I wrote a letter, inviting the governors for a meeting to discuss the guidelines for conducting primaries, let me know the thinking of the various interest groups.
“I have discussed it with the president, and I needed to discuss it with the governors—so that once the guidelines are out, the party can claim ownership of it because it has been debated.
“I wrote to the governors for a meeting. The governors said no, I should come to Imo House, not the APC office. He (Lukman) was in the there (where they were holding the meeting). He did not see anything wrong with that.”
Describing the meeting’s atmosphere with the governors, Oshiomhole likened it to being in a military barrack.
He recounted responding to their criticisms by asserting his own experience: “None of you can lecture me about the power of a governor. Because I have been governor twice. Eight years uninterrupted.
He even directly addressed Fayemi, stating, “You did a resit. You were elected and by the second term, you lost. That means you failed. I did not do a resit, and you are lecturing me about power. I can mention some of them.
“The man in Ogun State, he told me if not for the president, he have would left the party. Some of them told me “You are working for your paymaster in Lagos. Your paymaster in Bourdillon.
“I told the Ogun State governor, not the current one, the former one. I said “You are not loyal to President Muhammadu Buhari. Because if you are, when Buhari lost the election, you ported to the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in search of a political greener pasture.
Oshiomhole added “You begged Asiwaju to beg Segun Osoba to accept you when you lost in the All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP). And today, you are coming to say that you are loyal, what manner of loyalty is that? This is what you call opportunism.”
The ex-chairman also mentioned that President Buhari didn’t step in to halt the governors’ actions.
He subsequently cautioned Mr. Ganduje, hinting that similar tactics might be used against him by the governors, advising him to brace himself for potential challenges.
He said “Chairman sir, if you have not faced it already, you will face it. The only difference is if the president decides to intervene and moderate. In my own case, we have a president who was not ready to intervene.”
He stated that the party provided Kwara State with N800 million to bolster the “O to ge” movement, which ultimately resulted in the party’s triumph in the state.
Former Vice-President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, is set to address a world press conference at his residence in Abuja on Friday.
The specific reason for the media briefing has not been disclosed as of the time of filing this report.
SEE ALSO: Mambilla: ICC Orders Sunrise Power to Pay Nigeria $11.8m After 9-Year Battle
Atiku’s planned engagement comes amid several developments attracting public attention, including a recent report from TheCable concerning a $500,000 payment allegedly transferred in 2003 to his former wife, Jennifer Douglas, by Leno Adesanya, promoter of Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited.
TheCable reported that Adesanya told an international arbitration tribunal that the payment was part of a foreign-exchange transaction carried out for Atiku.
The report further stated that the payment was made through China Castle Investments Limited, an offshore company controlled by Adesanya.
The development comes shortly after an International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) tribunal ruled in favour of Nigeria in the $2.35 billion arbitration dispute brought by Sunrise Power over the Mambilla hydropower project.
The tribunal also ordered Sunrise Power and its promoter to reimburse Nigeria for a portion of its legal fees and expenses.
However, there is currently no official indication that Atiku’s scheduled press conference is connected to the Sunrise Power report, the arbitration ruling or any other specific issue.
The Federal Government has assured Nigerians that no one found culpable in the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners who died in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Niger State will be shielded.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, gave the assurance in a statement released on Friday while expressing the Federal Government’s condolences to the Niger State Government, the families of the deceased and the people of the Wushishi community.
The deaths occurred following the arrest of the suspected illegal miners during enforcement operations against illegal mining activities in the Wushishi/Lukoto axis of Niger State.
ALSO READ: 37 Miners’ Deaths: Interior Minister Arrives Minna, Set to Inspect Detention Centre
Idris said the circumstances surrounding the deaths require a thorough, transparent and impartial investigation, stressing that the government’s responsibility is to establish the facts and ensure justice is served.
The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, had ordered the suspension of the Niger State Commandant of the NSCDC, Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, and directed a full investigation into the incident.
“The swift action taken by the Honourable Minister of Interior underscores the seriousness with which the Federal Government views this matter,” Idris said.
He added that the investigation would be allowed to establish exactly what happened and that appropriate action would be taken based on its findings.
“There will be no attempt to shield anyone found culpable. At the same time, we mustn’t prejudge the outcome of the investigation. The Government’s responsibility is to ensure that the facts are established and that justice is served,” the minister said.
Idris stressed that while the Federal Government remains committed to combating illegal mining and other unlawful activities, enforcement operations must be conducted within the law and with respect for human life and dignity.
He appealed for calm in Wushishi and across Niger State, urging residents and other concerned parties to allow the investigation to proceed without interference.
The minister also assured the families of the deceased and the people of Niger State that the Federal Government shares in their grief and remains committed to fully establishing the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, on Friday arrived at the Niger State Government House in Minna following the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
The minister’s visit comes as pressure mounts on authorities to explain the circumstances surrounding the deaths of the detainees.
SEE ALSO: How Can 37 Suspected Illegal Miners Die in Gov’t Custody? Nigerians Demand Answers
Tunji-Ojo is expected to meet with officials of the Niger State Government as part of his visit to the state.
He is also expected to proceed to the detention centre where the suspected illegal miners were held before their deaths.
The incident has sparked public concern and protests in Minna, with residents demanding answers over the deaths of the detainees while in government custody.
The Federal Government has ordered an investigation into the incident, while the Niger State NSCDC commandant has been suspended pending the outcome of the probe.
Details shortly…….
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