Edo govt seeks Oshiomhole’s arrest for holding rallies despite ban

 Tony Akowe, Abuja, Precious Igbonwelundu and Osagie Otabor, Bénin 

 

EDO State Government on Monday called for the arrest of “suspended” All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman Adams Oshiomhole for allegedly causing a breach of the peace in the state.

It said the former governor should be prosecuted for allegedly creating frequent security breaches by holding rallies in defiance of state and police orders.

The government said the former governor has failed to obey lawful orders both by the state government and the Inspector-General of Police and had held rallies in different parts of the state despite a ban.

The Deputy Governor, Phillip Shaibu, told reporters in Abuja that Oshiomhole was not above the law.

He said: “I am in Abuja to meet with the Inspector-General of Police. I have a petition to him and the Director of Department of State Services to the effect that Comrade Oshiomhole be arrested for the breakdown of law and order that he has consistently perpetrated in Edo.

“We banned rallies; the IG in a letter also suspended rallies. He disobeyed the orders of the state government; he disobeyed the orders of the IG and feels that he is above the law.

“For us, we have officially come now to drop our petition with the IG to the effect that Oshiomhole is not above the law. He should be arrested for violating the state government order.

“He was a governor and he knows that nobody violated his orders because it is not about him, it is about the state.

“When everybody disobeys laws, the country becomes a banana republic. God forbid.”

According to Shaibu, Oshiomhole should be interrogated on why he disobeyed lawful directives.

“For us, when the suspended national chairman of the party continually disobeys the law; when opposition party chairmen do same, he becomes a reference point.

“That is why I am here on behalf of the state government to submit a petition to the IG to the effect that the suspended chairman, Comrade Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole, be arrested and prosecuted for breaching the peace of Edo state.”

Shuaibu denied insinuations the both him and Governor Godwin Obaseki were leaving the party, saying such reports were “fake news”.

“I can categorically tell you that the governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, and I are in APC and we are not leaving.

“The party is stronger today because of the governor. 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.”

The deputy governor said the fact that the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) governor endorsed Obaseki does not mean he will defect.

“They should read it the other way. That is a sign that even other parties are accepting and agreeing that the governor is working and he should be emulated; that is why he is having the endorsements.

“This is the first time the APC and non-APC people are endorsing the governor. I think it should be a source of pride to everybody,” he said.

On allegations that he betrayed Oshiomhole, Shaibu said: “Oshiomhole remains my father and I remain his son even though we are on different pages politically and it is bound to happen.

“I am supporting Governor Obaseki because he has not changed what we believe in. He has not deviated from what Comrade Adams Aliyu 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 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.”

On what it will take to reconcile with Oshiomhole, Shaibu said: “When he comes to Edo and endorses Governor Obaseki and his programmes, then we will be on the same page politically.”

Also yesterday, the APC in Edo urged President Muhammadu Buhari to call Oshiomhole to order for allegedly causing violence in the state.

It said Oshiomhole was provoking Edo people by allegedly disrespecting government directives.

Edo APC spokesman, Pastor Joseph Osagiede, told reporters in Bénin City that Oshiomhole was responsible for the attacks in the state.

According to him, some Edo Peoples Movement (EPM) members, such as Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu and Frank Airewele, had previously accused Oshiomhole of using thugs to attack their residences.

Osagiede noted that Oshiomhole carried out the attacks to make people believe that he (Oshiomhole) was the person being attacked.

He said the sponsored attacks by Oshiomhole were to cause anarchy in the state.

His words: “The way Oshiomhole does things is to create the impression that he was being attacked. He has a ground troop in Edo North to torment people.

“It is Oshiomhole who is behind the attacks in Edo. If the Police did not stop him, the people will rise against him.

“Edo people will begin to realise that he is deadly. He is provoking Edo people in such a manner that there will be anarchy, so that he can perfect what he tried to do with the National Assembly.

“He wanted the National Assembly to take over the House of Assembly and when that failed he resorted to violence to create anarchy.

“He is seeking violence means to disrupt peace of the state. We are calling on President Buhari to call Oshiomhole to order. Oshiomhole is hell-bent on causing anarchy in the state.”

Oshiomhole’s spokesman Simon Ebegbulem declined comments when contacted on Shaibu’s petition and the Edo APC’s allegations.

But, a former House of Representatives member, Samson Osagie, said the state government was responsible for the attacked attributed to Oshiomhole.

His words: “The truth of the matter is that I do not know how they decided to put logic on its head.

“The governor has threatened time without number on violence over time and the state government is moving around to accuse those who are being attacked of being responsible for the attacks.

“Governor Obaseki and the state government at the moment have been so confused and irrational in taking their thoughts and actions to blame Oshiomhole for everything they have caused.

“Suffice it to say that Oshiomhole or those supporting him in every of their public statements have not issued threats, so the state government is responsible for the attacks and the public is aware of this.”

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