Ahead of the 2019 general elections, National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC Adams Oshiomhole has launched verbal war on former President Olusegun Obasanjo for his support to Atiku Abubakar, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP Presidential candidate.
Oshimhole declared that Obasanjo and Atiku would be divinely punished during the February 2019 polls by losing election while President Muhammadu Buhari and APC would emerge victorious.
He said Atiku’s political infidelity would be his main albatross at the polls while Obasanjo would be punished having earlier asked God to punish him should he ever support Atiku.
Oshiomhole barred his mind Wednesday when he received women leaders of the APC from across the local governments of his home state, Edo who were at his private office on a solidarity visit.
He berated Atiku and Uche Secondus, PDP National Chairman over their calls for the resignation of the Inspector General of Police, IGP Ibrahim Idris and Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC Mahmood Yakubu, noting that, while Atiku wants to replace the IGP, Secondus is bent on becoming the INEC Chairman with the sole aim of subverting the electoral process.
The APC National Chairman also boasted that, “Buhari will win by getting more votes than he garnered before. Some of those people who misuse religion, which was one of the most potent weapons used very recklessly by people that have no issues in 2015. This time around, they would have to speak to issues because the two main candidates are Moslems.
“Secondly, the issue of north and south responsible for Buhari retaining the key support in the north while the south auspiciously voted based on son of the soil tag. This time, ethnicity will be a non-issue because they are from the same region. They are therefore going to look at character.
“Nobody has ever said Buhari is a thief. But who said the other person is a thief? It was his boss (Obasanjo). When you are working with me and I say you are a thief, God will punish me if I support you. And when you are confused because your supply line has been chopped off and then you enter into a new deal, you now turned around to support the same person.
“That God that you called with your name to punish you if you support the person is about to go to work. And He will go to work in February and He will punish him thoroughly and the person he is supporting, in favour of Nigerians”.
Oshiomhole also attacked Governors Rochas Okorocha of Imo State and Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State when he described as prodigal sons, some aggrieved governors of the party who have been threatening to work against its governorship candidates in their states.
He however noted that the party would not immediately sanction such governors for anti-party activities as their main punishment would come from the electorate.
“Our popularity in Imo and Ogun states is higher. What you don’t know and Nigerians always make me surprise by thinking that once you are a governor, you have electoral value. Yes, we have overwhelming majority of the APC governors with electoral value but we also have others without electoral values, who are pectoral liabilities.
“I can concretely tell you today that in Imo state, APC will win more votes. As I said, it is about numbers and my focus is on the ordinary Imo electorate because the governor, his Commissioner for Happiness and the son in-law have only one vote on that day. But those mechanics, market women, school teachers and workers whose salaries are unpaid for years that have the same weight of votes.
“Also, in Ogun state, don’t forget that the vice president is from Ogun state. We cannot focus on one person and not on the other. Ogun is one of the most enlightened states in the country and that is where Chief Awolowo came from. They have a huge history and it is not a political kingdom headed by one person.
“I believe that if they (governors) were looking for reconciliation or truth, they would not have done what they did (allowing their aides to defect). They already have the mindset that once they don’t get their governor in, nothing is right, it is how democracy works.
“Overall, APC is a stronger party now but we should not focus only on APC. Talking of Ogun state, the PDP has two governorship candidates and two deputy governors running yet as we speak, the APC has only one in the person of Dapo Abiodun.
“When a child ran out of his father’s house to bear a new name according to history and the Bible, he returned when the weather thoroughly beat him as a prodigal son. That is why APC has prodigal sons. Those who think that their political future is tied to are poor students of history.
“We are not thinking of sanctioning them because the real sanction will come from the electorate but as for if any rules of the party has been breached, they are the things we will have to look at. It is not my function. What should be the real headline is that we will deliver Dapo Abiodun in Ogun state and Hope Uzodinma in Imo state.”, he said.
