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In a scathing rebuke, former Governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, has taken aim at Senator Adams Oshiomhole, the representative of Edo North, branding him the "biggest and most destructive threat" to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Amosun's criticism revolves around Oshiomhole's role during the APC primaries in 2019, a contentious period that saw the two political figures at odds.
Recalling the events, the clash between Amosun and Oshiomhole, who was then the APC National Chairman, unfolded during the party's primaries leading up to the 2019 general election. The disagreement was ignited by the disputed governorship primary in Ogun State, where Amosun's favored candidate, Adekunle Akinlade, lost to Dapo Abiodun.
The discord originated in October 2018, with two governorship candidates emerging as a result of conflicting declarations by different panels. The conflict escalated as allegations and counterarguments ensued, with Amosun's camp questioning the legitimacy of the primary conducted by the Mohammed Indabawa-led panel.
Oshiomhole's backing of Abiodun against Amosun's candidate further strained their relationship. Recently, Oshiomhole revisited the 2019 drama, suggesting that the party spent a substantial sum of N2.4 billion to secure victory in governorship elections in Kwara, Imo, and Ogun States. He also mentioned the loss in the Taraba State governorship election despite an investment of N800 million.
Responding to Oshiomhole's remarks, Amosun issued a statement on Wednesday, denouncing the former Edo Governor's narrative as riddled with lies. Amosun asserted that Oshiomhole lacked the integrity to speak the truth and criticized the APC, stating that it conducted one of the worst primaries in Nigeria's contemporary political history under Oshiomhole's leadership. Amosun concluded by labeling Oshiomhole as the "APC's biggest, most destructive threat" and highlighted the former chairman's eventual removal from the party leadership.
