PDP faults Presidency’s talks with Oshiomhole on Edo guber poll

Members of the Coalition of Civil Society Groups for Good Governance and Electoral Matters, during a peaceful rally for free, fair and credible elections in the forthcoming Edo State governorship poll at the Unity Fountain in Abuja… yesterday. PHOTO: PHILIP OJISUA

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday condemned the meeting between former national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, and the Chief of Staff to Mr. President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, at the Presidential Villa, during which they discussed the arrest of certain individuals ahead of the September 19, 2020 Edo State governorship election.

According to PDP, the brazen admission by the Buhari Presidency that the meeting was held had confirmed the nation’s worst fears.The opposition party equally alleged that the Buhari Presidency was plotting to use compromised security operatives to clamp down on certain unnamed Nigerians to achieve political suppression and rig the Edo governorship election.


At a press conference in Abuja, the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, stated that by describing the discussion between Oshiomhole and Gambari, in which Oshiomhole was allegedlyheard finalising a plot to clamp down on political rivals, as “an innocent conversation”, the Buhari Presidency had further exposed its complicity.
“This convoluted admission by the Presidency speaks more of the conversation that must have held behind closed doors with President Muhammadu Buhari.

“Nigerians were even further alarmed by the admission that Oshiomhole, the face of the APC campaign, was at the Presidential Villa for discussions on ‘emerging incidents of violence in the run up to the election’ as well as the “use of law enforcement agencies” in a poll in which he and the APC have displayed a desperation to grab power at all costs.

“When did Oshiomhole become the national security adviser? When did he become a service chief? Is Oshiomhole holding any statutory position in the government or even in the APC, as a party, to warrant a security meeting with the president if it was not for ulterior partisan purposes on the Edo election?” PDP queried.

PDP further stated that it was surprising that leaders of other political parties and other stakeholders in the Edo governorship election were not invited.

The party said it was already aware of plots to design fake military, police and other security agencies’ uniforms for APC thugs with a view to using them to unleash violence and clamp down on traditional, faith-based and community leaders in Edo State on trumped-up charges.

“While our national campaign understands the pedigree of Gambari, we want to, however, caution him not to allow his record of service to be tainted with the violence being perpetrated by the APC in Edo, as well as Oshiomhole’s repeated calls for clampdown on the Edo people, ahead of the election. The world is watching!”