A former governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, has slammed an ex-National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Adams Oshiomhole, over claims that he spent over N2.4 billion in Ogun, Kwara and Taraba states to secure victory for the party during the 2019 general election.
Oshiomhole said the money was spent due to stiff opposition against the choices of the party in the states by ‘political juggernauts’ namely, Amosun (Ogun), Senator Rochas Okorocha (Imo) and Bukola Saraki (Kwara).
Speaking at the launch of a book by former APC National Vice Chairman, North West, Salihu Lukman, Oshiomhole said that the party lost the Taraba State governorship election even though it invested N800 million into the election in 2019.
While debunking Oshiomhole’s claims, Amosun emphasised that the former APC Chairman has an “antecedent and penchant for careless and most times, baseless and unverified public statements”.
Amosun, in a statement he personally signed, said, “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.”
Amosun, however, asked Oshiomole to come straight.
“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.”