Adams Oshiomhole, a former national chairman of the government’s All Progressives Congress (APC), and the Labour Party have argued over Peter Obi’s past. Obi is the LP’s presidential candidate for the 2023 elections.
Oshiomhole noted that Obi was unable to improve the security situation in Anambra while he was governor.
At a gathering of APC progressive young leaders on Sunday in Abuja, the former APC Chairman made this claim.
Obi recently told CNN that Nigeria was in risk of falling apart and that, if elected, he would address the nation’s economic and security concerns.
Oshiomhole asserts that Obi is unable to convince Nigerians that he will address the nation’s security problems since, when governor of Anambra, he failed to take appropriate action.
“For those of you who are social media warriors, there are issues here that you need to speak to. Go to Google and look at the first six months of governor Obiano’s administration in Anambra state.
“What you will find on YouTube is governor Obiano using bulldozers to demolish the houses of kidnappers and those who were involved in what they called Bakassi boys or even girls.
“Who was the governor when Bakassi developed in Anambra and who solved the problem? So, if a man couldn’t fix a security challenge in his own state which requires courage, how can he convince that he would fix the security challenges all over Nigeria?
“Don’t take it from me. Go to YouTube and find out about the first six months of governor Obiano and find out who was his predecessor.
“If the [predecessor] had solved the problem, will Obiano be using bulldozers to demolish people’s houses — houses of kidnappers and Bakassi boys?
“So, when they say ‘I will fix Nigeria’, did you fix your state?,” Oshiomhole asked.
In its reaction, the Labour Party said Oshiomhole should be ashamed of himself for attempting to use insecurity to measure the performance of Peter Obi, while in office as Anambra State Governor years ago.
Comrade Arabambi Abayomi, national publicity secretary of the Labour Party, made this statement in reaction to Oshiomhole’s assertions that Obi would be unable to address Nigeria’s security issues since he failed to do so when he was governor of Anambra State.
Arabambi said, “I’m aware that Oshimohole was governor of Edo State, for two terms.
“He was part of those who connived to foist this reckless government of propagandists on Nigerians using deceit and scare-mongering in 2015.
“We are aware that when Peter Obi, our candidate was governor of Anambra, IPOB was not ordering people to sit at home.
“It is curious that a government which Comrade Adams Oshimohole is part and parcel of can even attempt to use security as a yardstick to talk about any other government before it.
“Is it not under this government that the Kuje Prison was attacked by bandits without a shot fired by security forces?
“If one may ask, where did comrade Oshimohole get the N100 million he used to pay for the APC Presidential form he picked?
“We know for a fact he didn’t have this money before he ruled Edo for 8 years. He wasn’t flying business class when he was in the NLC.
“Now that he and his friends in government have helped themselves they are scared that the house they built on quicksand will crumble.”
