Oshiomhole, Sylva Dispute Gets New Twist

Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo state has reacted to his recent disagreement with former governor of Bayelsa state Timipre Sylva over botched primary election in the state.

According to Oshiomhole, he harbours no grudge against Timipre Sylva, saying the ex-governor “remains his brother.”

Oshiomhole, speaking on Monday, September 28, after submitting the report of the committee to the National Working Committee of the party in Abuja said that he would not resort to fighting the former governor, Premium Times reports.

READ ALSO: Bayelsa Guber: APC Backs Sylva’s Victory

He said: “You know, Sylva is my brother and I can show you my phone. I’m not just calling him my brother and I have sent him a text saying my brother before the election and he will remain my brother.

“So, if there is an argument or somebody is under tension what you need is our help. I know what it takes contesting an election and I have passed through all of that and happily I’m doing my second term.

“So, I will not create burden for anyone except that because of the tradition I’m coming from democracy has only one meaning “one man one vote.” It is a covenant between me and my God. I have fought electoral fraud in Edo and God mercifully aided me and we defeated some of the progressive forces. If there is nothing else I can do the principle of one man one vote is something I’m committed to.

“So, if he (Sylva) is offended by that it is a pity. Even now for emphasis, Sylva is my brother and I’m not going to fight him on the street.”

READ ALSO: Bayelsa Guber: APC Can’t Stop My Re-election – Dickson

Timipre Sylva and Gov Adams Oshiomhole

Oshiomhole however alleged that weapons such as AK 47, Pump action and live ammunition characterized the exercise.

He said: “Concerning what happened in the stadium I have seen independent reports. Gunshots were being fired. AK 47 guns were recovered, pump action, live ammunition.

“These are not secrets that transpired, I am not the issue and I don’t want to be the issue. There are issues that are important to me. This one, I didn’t go there as a governor. I went there as a party member on a national assignment by the party and it is a great honour.

“Part of the challenge of leadership is that you have to have some capacity to accommodate all kinds of things. I will leave that to you if you think that I am so helpless that I needed the help of someone.

“And again, talking about the media you know there are things that a vigorous media can deal with. If they were to say that Comrade Adams is he goat and you come to ask me they say you are a he goat, I think it is incidentally that we have gone through some tension over the past few years.

“You also know that there was a time I was going to Ekiti state and my chopper was stopped at Benin Airport and I was denied the right to fly because the power that be at the time did not want me to go to Ekiti.

“If you find from your own research that the first time I have had to use a chopper you can draw your conclusion. But I like this Igbo man’s proverb, which says that ‘if you are bathing in a local battle, a mad just collects your clothes and you come out of the bathroom naked and start running after him, people will say – look at these two mad men.

“If they say that I need an applicant, somebody who wants to be governor is the one who has to support a sitting governor, I leave that to their judgement. But I’m not going to condescend to that level. I think there are more other national issues to engage at this point in time but don’t forget even at this hour.”

Oshiomhole who had traded harsh words with Sylva, alleged that Sylva’s thugs held him hostage in an attempt to force him to conduct the primary in the midst of violence.

He was however said to have been rescued by the combined forces of the military and operatives of the Department of State Security on the orders of the Chief of Defence Staff.

Speaking shortly after his safety was secured, Oshiomhole asked the leadership of the party to reschedule the election, saying he had to leave the state without conducting the exercise because of violence.

But Sylva on his part alleged that the election was held after Oshiomhole left and he was declared winner. He described Oshiomhole as a “liar.”

Amid the controversy, John Odigie-Oyegun, the national chairman of the APC, announced the cancellation of the election. He added the exercise would be rescheduled.

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