Senator Ibikunle Amosun, former Governor of Ogun State, has lambasted Senator Adams Oshiomhole, representing Edo North, labeling him as the “biggest and most destructive threat” to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Amosun’s condemnation stemmed from their tussle during the APC primaries in 2019.
The feud among the two former governors originated from the contentious governorship primary in Ogun State, where Dapo Abiodun, previously aligned with Amosun, emerged as the winner, sidelining Amosun’s favored candidate, Adekunle Akinlade.
The conflict escalated when two governorship candidates emerged from conflicting party executives within the APC – the Mohammed Indabawa-led panel backed Abiodun, while the Derin Adebiyi-led state executive favored Akinlade.
Oshiomhole, as the APC National Chairman at that time, threw his weight behind Abiodun, which severed his relationship with Amosun, further aggravating the rift between the two political figures.
Recently, Oshiomhole revisited the 2019 election saga, citing the colossal expenditure of N2.4 billion to secure victories in Kwara, Imo, and Ogun States.
He highlighted the party’s defeat in Taraba despite investing N800 million in the election.
In response, Amosun criticized Oshiomhole’s narrative, denouncing it as riddled with falsehoods and lacking the integrity to convey the truth.
He highlighted the APC’s controversial primaries under Oshiomhole’s leadership, branding him as the “biggest, most destructive threat” to the party’s stability.
“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.
“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.
“You are working for your paymaster in Lagos, paymaster in Bourdillion is cheap but typical of an individual, who suddenly found himself where he never dreamt of, despite his obvious limitations – education and exposure.
“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,” the statement partly reads.
Amosun urged Nigerians to recall the controversies surrounding those primaries and Oshiomhole’s subsequent invitation by the Department of State Service (DSS) to address serious allegations.
The former Ogun State Governor concluded by asserting that Oshiomhole’s actions during that period posed a significant risk to the APC’s integrity and stability.
