The National Chairman of the ruling party, Adams Oshiomhole has denied being put under house arrest by the police to prevent him from attending a reception for Edo state APC governorship candidate’s rally of Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu.
He thundered: “They already plated a story from Government House, saying I was under house arrest. You can see ways they want to make me look like the proverbial he-goat who is sacrificed if a child seeks to make him healthy and also used to celebrate.”
Oshiomhole spoke with journalists at his Benin residence gave some reasons for staying away from the rally, he said that, as national chairman, he had to pay the price by to keep away from the rally which eventually held at Ize-Iyamu’s residence so as to deny the Inspector General of Police and the Edo Police Command any excuse to go and kill people and blame it on him.
He deployed the Inspector General of Police, Mr Muhammed Adamu and the Edo State Police Command for fueling the tension which gripped the state the run-up to the rally, adding that he wrote a letter to the inspector general, notifying him of his intention to attend the rally only for him to withdraw the permit that very day under curious circumstances.
Flanked by Ize-Iyamu and other party bigwigs, Oshiomhole said: “I am embarrassed as the national chairman that the IGP will write me a letter, informing me on the strength of my application, which I informed him of our intention to do a rally. We informed the police not for the license so that they can justify their salary by coming to maintain peace.
“It is not for them to grant permission. I thought as National Chairman, I should be formal.
I delivered the letter which I signed myself and was hand-delivered. The IG said that he directed the Edo police to provide security.
What I do not understand is how the same police could be alleged to send a letter to deputy governor Shaibu that the rally will not hold.
The state chapter invited me to attend the rally. I do not understand how the police IG will write to me in the morning that I hold a rally and write to another person without getting back to me to say that the rally will not hold. It is something I need to find out when I get back to Abuja.”
The factional chairman of Edo state APC, Col. David Imus who formally welcomed Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu into the party and presented him and his supporters with a broom, which is the APC party symbol.
Imuse did the presentation, in the company of other party leaders on Friday at the occasion which took place at the residence of Ize-Iyamu instead of the earlier announced venue at Garrick Memorial Schools playground, Benin City.
The Edo APC chairman said the coming of Ize-Iyamu and his supporters from the 18 local government areas of the state to the APC was a homecoming worthy of celebration and that it will add value to the party.
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Imuse who urged all members of the party in the state to close ranks so that it can grow from strength to strength called those he said were sitting in the fence to come and join the party adding that as a party with a large heart, the APC was open to all
Receiving the broom from the APC chairman, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu said that the notion that he was joining the APC in Benin City was wrong because he had already done so as required by party regulations at his Ugboko ward in Orhionnwon Local Government Area.
Displaying his APC membership card, he said, “For those who are in doubt, the moment I made up my mind to join the APC, I went to my ward and am proud to say I have registered in Ugboko ward in Orhionmwon local government area”.
Ize-Iyamu said that he was confident his decision to return home to the APC will, “by the grace of God make APC grow from strength.”
