Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, has petitioned the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Adamu Mohammed and the Director General, Department of Security Service (DSSDG), Yusuf Bichi, to immediately arrest the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, for causing a public breach of security in the state.
Deputy Governor, Philip Shuaibu, who made the disclosure while speaking with newsmen in Abuja yesterday, said if Oshiomhole cannot organise any form of rally in any other APC state without the authorisation of the state governor, he lacked the power to do so in Edo State.
He further maintained that the only way Oshiomhole could be forgiven is for him to render an unqualified apology to the governor and people of the state.
“I am in Abuja to meet with the IGP. I have a petition to him and to the DSS director general to the effect that Oshiomhole be arrested by the police and the DSS for the breakdown of law and order that he has consistently perpetrated in Edo State. We banned rallies, the IGP, in a letter, also suspended rallies.
“He disobeyed the orders of the state government, he disobeyed the orders of the IGP and feels he is above the law. For us, we have officially come to drop our petition with the IGP 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 forbids. And that is why we are saying the IGP and the DSSDG 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 the 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 IGP to the effect that the suspended chairman, Oshiomhole, be arrested and prosecuted for breaching the peace of Edo State,” he said.
Asked if he will leave the APC, he replied: “Leave APC to where? 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, Obaseki and I are in APC and we are not leaving APC. The party is stronger today because of the governor and 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.
“Some people are saying because of the endorsement by the Peoples Democratic Party and some individuals, that, it is a sign we are leaving the party. No. They should read it the other way that it 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 a 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,” he said.
On the claim that he betrayed Oshiomhole, the deputy governor 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 governor of Edo State. I am supporting Governor Obaseki because he has not changed what we believe in.
“He has not deviated from what 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, we are not on the same page but as a family, he remains my father,” he said. – The Sun.
