PDP: Attack On Oshiomhole’s Benin Residence, Sign Of ‘Disintegration’ In APC

The Peoples Democratic Party (PD) has described weekend’s attack on the Benin residence of the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, as an indication of alleged disintegration in the ruling party.

Oshiomhole’s residence in the Okoroutun area of GRA in Benin City was said to have been attacked by suspected political thugs in the APC.

The thugs were said have chanted ‘Oshiomhole ole’ during the attack before they were dispersed by security agents who reportedly prevented them from attacking the APC chairman.

Reacting to the attack on Monday, the opposition PDP described the attack as a confirmation that the APC was “dysfunctional” and “disintegrated.”

“The fact that APC members openly took up arms against its leadership is a huge demonstration of their eternal rejection of the APC and the Buhari Presidency, particularly for the ruins they have caused our nation.

“For APC members to publicly call their National Chairman a “thief”, as reported in the open media, amply captures the mood of majority of Nigerians, including APC members, that the APC and its government are havens for thieves, criminal gangs and corrupt persons,” said the PDP.

The opposition party said the APC had “become torn apart within its core” as “the manifest greed and ravenousness of its leaders, particularly, in the Presidential villa, in addition to endless infighting over positions and looted resources has further exposed the party as a soulless mob.”

The PDP further claimed that the was never a genuine platform for governance as “It has neither the predisposition nor the design for operable people-oriented policy and programmes.”

It said, “Nigerians expect Oshiomhole to respond to the demands of his party members, who are chasing him around like a common tout and for which he was reported to have hidden in a hotel in Benin City.

“Is it not absurd for a National Chairman of a political party that claims to have won an election just a few months back to require the services of truck load of police men and personal thugs to escape from Benin to Abuja?”

While the Edo State Commissioner of Police was said to have denied the incident, Oshiomhole while speaking to reporters, confirmed the attack.

The APC Chairman said, “In a moment like this, it is not madness for madness because many of you I see here, in 2007, you were already strong. During my second term in 2012, you were already strong; Even in 2016, some of you were already deployed as party agents,” he said.

“These people want to create what has not happen for a very long time. They want war and want to cause crisis. They are boasting that they want to crush and crush people. Go and buy crushing machine.

“No man born of a woman can change what God has said. And if God says, no, who can say yes? My own is don’t let them drag you out of the bathroom like Igbo man says and be running after them like the town naked mad men because we are not mad.

“If it comes to the ruffle ruffle that he wants, they don’t have the number. You know that when you start to tell lies, you will have to lie many times to sustain one lie.

“We will not condescend to their level.  But, let me say this. It is clear, Nigeria is a free country. There is freedom of association. Thee is freedom of worship. There is freedom of religion. There is freedom of expression. So, nobody in Nigeria can harass you. Just be the good guys that you are.

“My weapon which is the truth, is more powerful than the weapon of the armed forces in the world. Have I threatened any of you? Have I ever sent any of you to prison? How many of you …have I ever said to any of you that if you do not follow me, I will send you to prison?

“…But, the tradition of Edo people is that if you do something and your father is not happy, he will call you home and say my son, don’t do this again.

“As a father or mother, maturity is the ability to change the habit that you are not happy about. There is no wisdom to do as if you are an angel who has never sinned? Those who want to cast the first stone, may God bless them.”