You lack moral ground to ask me to leave, Oshiomhole tells Saraki
The National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, has said the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, lacks moral ground to call for his resignation after alleged corrupt activities that trailed the party’s primaries. Com. Oshiomhole, who reacted yesterday in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Simon Ebegbulem, threatened to sue Saraki if he failed to provide evidence of inducement. Ebegbulem described the attack by Saraki as “unwarranted, pathetic and irresponsible resort to petty politics.” He said Saraki who “is a usurper and pretender to the position of senate president” had no moral ground to call for the resignation of the national chairman. “It is sad that Saraki, who just woke up from slumber occasioned by his crushing defeat at the Port Harcourt presidential primary election of his party, could degenerate to such a low level.
“It is equally sad, but not unexpected, that Saraki, who is politically drowning, would make such libelous comments against the national chairman of the APC. And I challenge Saraki to mention one name of an aspirant that gave money to the national chairman or we file a legal action against him.
“Whereas, the basis on which he made those comments was tenuous and unjustifiable, it is on record that Saraki has been in the eye of investigations by the EFCC and the ICPC for sundry cases of corruption.
“That is the same man that has taken it upon himself to question Com. Oshiomhole’s credibility.
“We challenge him to mention one person who has claimed that he gave money to Oshiomhole to influence him and the decision of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) in the just-concluded primary elections.
“We are aware that part of the strategies discussed in Dubai, where the PDP leaders recently visited and held their meeting, was to continue to dish out lies against top APC leaders with a view to distract the leadership of the APC ahead the 2019 general election. But they have failed because the National Chairman and APC leaders are focused and will never be distracted.
“However, It is time these irresponsible lies stopped; otherwise, anybody who continues to make unsubstantiated allegations against the person and character of the National Chairman should be ready to provide proofs in a court of law. It cannot be just a political game to smear the character of Comrade Oshiomole by people whose track record is unenviable,” he said.
But in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, the Senate President described the threat by Oshiomhole to sue him over his statement that he ought to quit politics on moral grounds over the allegations against him as an empty boast.