Oshiomhole Returns To Nigeria, Speaks On Encounter With DSS

[Edoman]

Adams Oshiomhole, national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has given an insight on why he was quizzed by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS).

TheCable on Friday reported that he was en route to Nigeria after visiting his indisposed wife, Iara, in the US, and subsequently meeting Bola Tinubu, APC national leader, in the UK.

The APC chairman travelled out of the country after he was interrogated by the DSS over allegations of collecting bribe during his party’s primary elections.

Speaking during an interaction with editors in Lagos on Saturday, Oshiomhole said he “saw DSS only once and it was a conversation, not an arrest or detention”.

He said: “The conversation centred around APC primaries. The question now is whether or not it is the DSS job to interfere in a political party’s issues. And if there’s an allegation of corruption, it is the responsibility of EFCC and ICPC.”

The former governor of Edo noted that the DSS did not ask him to return the next day, contrary to media reports.

Oshiomhole said he was billed to travel abroad on Monday but postponed the trip for a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari. He said he eventually left the country on Tuesday.

Furthermore, the APC chairman said he was not released on administrative bail, adding that Yahaya Bello, governor of Kogi, did not come to pick him up from the DSS office.

He said: “I was the one who called Yahaya Bello and he came but I drove home in my own car.”

Oshiomhole lashed out at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for calling on Interpol to arrest him, and for insinuating that he had fled the country over the matter.

He said: “What would they have said if it was the PDP chairman that was invited by DSS, for instance over the dollar bazaar at their Port Harcourt primary?

“They would have said democracy is under threat and would have fired a letter to the UN as they often ridicule themselves.”

The former labour leader alleged that “a few important members of APC may be conniving with PDP because they preferred the impunity of the PDP era”.

Governors Rochas Okorocha of Imo and Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun are aggrieved over the APC primaries. They blame Oshiomhole for their inability to get the gubernatorial tickets of the party for their preferred candidates.

Amosun has said he does not have a hand in Oshiomhole’s invitation by the DSS.

https://www.google.com.ng/amp/s/www.thecable.ng/oshiomhole-returns-reveals-why-he-was-quizzed-by-dss/amp

[Edoman]

Why DSS Invited Me – Oshiomhole


Adams Oshiomhole, the national chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC) has stated why the Department of State Service (DSS) invited him for questionings.

There were reports that Mr Oshiomhole was picked up by operatives of the DSS earlier in the week. The reports said the APC chairman was asked to step down from office.

The former Edo governor was also reported to have jetted out of the country due to intense pressure from the security outfit and some state governors of his party who are currently engaged in a show of strength with him.

Oshiomhole while reacting to the report on Saturday said he went to the United States to see his wife and thereafter headed for the United Kingdom to meet with Bola Tinubu, a chieftain of the ruling party, dismissing insinuations that he has been scheduled to meet again with the DSS.

Addressing selected reporters in Lagos, the former governor dismissed reports of his arrest saying he went to the DSS after being invited to turn himself in.

He said his summon has to do with party primaries of the APC querying if the DSS has the right to obstruct the affairs of a political party.

“Our conversation centered around APC primaries,” Oshiomhole said.

He also denied insinuations that the query centered round corruption allegations thrown at him when he held sway as governor.

“The question now is whether or not it is the DSS job to interfere in a political party’s issues. And if there’s an allegation of corruption, it is the responsibility of EFCC and ICPC,” he added.

Source: https://politicstimesng.com/why-dss-invited-oshiomhole/

[Edoman]

Oshiomhole Accuses DSS Of Interfering In APC Affairs


By Olisemeka Obeche
Embattled national chair­man of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiom­hole over the weekend expressed concerns over meddlesomeness of the State Security Service on the controversies trailing the party’s primaries.
The disclosure was made days after it was speculated in certain media that the former Edo gover­nor allegedly fled the country af­ter being detained and quizzed by the secret police over allegations that he pocketed billions of Naira through the controversial prima­ries across the country.

Oshiomhole who told select ed­itors in Lagos on Saturday that he was questioned by the secret police last weekend in Abuja on issues bordering on the party’s recent primaries, stressed that the SSS was not the appropriate agency for such interrogation in a constitutional democracy, rather an anti-corruption agency.

Hear him: “The conversation centred around APC primaries. The question now is whether or not it is the DSS (SSS) job to interfere in a political party’s issues. And if there is an allegation of corruption, it is the responsibility of EFCC and ICPC,” Oshiomhole said.

The former national chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) also said he drove himself out of the SSS facility following interrogation, denying he was collected by Governor Yahaya Bel­lo. He further disclosed that he traveled out of Nigeria on Tues­day, and responded to an alarm raised by the opposition People’s Democratic Party that he had ab­sconded. The party also urged the Interpol and other security agen­cies to launch a manhunt for Os­hiomhole.

The former governor accused the opposition party of being petty, saying it would not have tolerated its leaders being grilled by secu­rity agencies like he was made to endure.
Oshiomhole’s meeting with the editors comes a day after he re­turned to Nigeria from the United Kingdom, where he met with Bola Tinubu, a leader of the ruling par­ty who had been undergoing treat­ment for undisclosed ailments in London.

Oshiomhole was reported to have been questioned by the SSS for nine hours on suspicion he had taken humongous bribes from APC politicians to manipulate the party’s primaries in favour of persons he preferred. The exercise held between September and Oc­tober, producing the party’s can­didates for presidential, governor­ship and legislative offices.

Several APC governors whom Mr. Oshiomhole apparently trun­cated their plans to nominate suc­cessors have been publicly fuming with the party chairman.
Imo state governor, Rochas Okorocha and his Ogun state counterpart, Ibikunle Amosun, have been particularly furious, publicly accusing Oshiomhole of disregarding the party’s constitu­tion in the conduct of primaries and demanding his immediate re­moval. Messrs. Amosun and Oko­rocha believe Oshiomhole had the backing of Mr. Tinubu, whose in­fluence over party affairs is wide­ly acknowledged even though he does not hold a formal position.

Mr Oshiomhole has denied alle­gations of fraud against him, and challenged those who have issues with his leadership to leave the party. But law enforcement and intelligence sources have said Oshiomhole has become a person of interest in recent weeks. “We have received strong new mate­rials which suggested him as an interesting individual who should be thoroughly investigated,” an intelligence source said. “We have commenced work in that regard.”
Oshiomhole, who became the party’s chairman amidst contro­versial atmosphere in June, has been accused of taking bribes through political allies and blood relations to admit some politicians as the party’s candidates in 2019.

Some of his alleged proxies have been identified by law en­forcement officers but the political undertone of the probe has made it difficult to determine when they would be called in for questioning, especially as it would require ap­proval up to the presidency level to move against those involved, sources said.

https://orientdailynews.com.ng/politics/oshiomhole-accuses-dss-interfering-apc/