The Edo State Government has petitioned the Inspector-General of Police and the Director, Department of State Services to arrest and prosecute National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Adams Oshiomhole for allegedly causing a breach of the peace in the state.
The Deputy Governor of the state, Philip Shaibu, who spoke to journalists in Abuja on Monday, said he was in the capital territory to meet the IG over Oshiomhole’s recalcitrant behaviour.
He said the former governor of Edo state should be prosecuted for alleged frequent violation of state and police orders against holding rallies in the state, thereby causing security breaches.
According to Shaibu, 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.
“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.”
Speaking on rumours that he and Governor Godwin Obaseki were planning on leaving the APC, Shaibu described the reports as “fake news”.
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“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.”
