OFF THE CUP

•‘ GO and DIE’: “Let me apologise to you for the way I spoke to you, I am very sorry about the statement. When I said ‘go and die’, that one was said in a fit of anger. And I am really sorry. I want you to join us. We would employ you and pay you salary. You would help us to campaign to other women not to trade on road sides. We should not use poverty as a yardstick.” Oshiomhole, appealing to a widow, Mrs. Joy Ifije for uncomplimentary and injurious remark to her.

• ‘OLD MASTER THIEF’: “It is only in Nigeria that old thieves will be regrouping; they are being organised by an old master thief who spent 16 billion… the more dollars he spent on light, the more darkness you suffered.” Oshiomhole at APC’s welcome rally for Senator Godswill Akpabio, casting aspersion on the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo though he did not mention him for spending that amount on power without matching result.

• ‘SARAKI WILL BE LAWFULLY IMPEACHED’: “We have 56 senators and they have 49 senators. I insist that 49 senators cannot preside over the affairs of a house in which the APC has 56 senators. Tell us anywhere in the world where the minority rules over the majority. Once you lose the majority, without further ado, you step down. We cannot be subjected to minority rule in the Nigerian Senate. Whether it is convenient for Distinguished Senator Saraki or not, the truth is whether by morality or by law or by convention, Senator Saraki can only avoid impeachment by toeing the path of honour, step down so that the APC can take over the leadership of the House. Saraki as President of the Senate will be lawfully and democratically impeached. It will not be illegally done. It will be done according to law and tradition.” Oshiomhole insisting that Senate President Bukola Saraki vacate the office following his defection from the APC to the PDP

•‘ NOBODY IS ABOVE THE PARTY: “If the minister refuses, we will suspend him from the party. We must return to internal discipline. You cannot purport to be a honourable minister and act dishonourably. Nobody is greater than the party. If the president condones disrespect for his office, I will not condone disrespect for the party. When we expel the minister, we will prevail on the president that he can’t keep in his cabinet people who have neither respect for his own decisions nor have respect for the party, without which they would not have been ministers. Nobody, no minister is above the party.” Oshiomhole vowing to expel Minister of Labour and Productivity Chris Ngige and Minister of State for Aviation Hadi Sirika from the party for failing to inaugurate the boards of agencies under their ministries.