'Beware of self-confessed looters,' Oshiomhole warns voters

dimeji akinloye

July 20, 2016 7:10 AM

Apparently referring to members of the PDP, Oshiomhole said the politicians confessed to the EFCC to have diverted funds meant to protect the lives of Nigerians.

Adams Oshiomhole

Ahead of the September 10 governorship election in Edo State, Governor Adams Oshiomhole has warned voters against politicians he described as self-confessed looters.

Speaking on Tuesday, July 19, during a courtesy visit to Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State, stressed that the All Progressives Congress (APC) inherited an "emptied" federal treasury from the same set people who are seeking control of Edo state in September.

Apparently referring to members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Governor said the politicians confessed to the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to have diverted funds meant to protect the lives of Nigerians from the Boko Haram insurgents.

Oshiomhole said: I know there are a lot of people who don’t quite understand what is going on. Our party inherited a federal treasury that was completely bastardised, emptied, emptied from the vaults to soak away pits, to farm houses, and even in Edo here, the people who are asking for Edo people’s votes are those who have already made statements to the EFCC that they collected N500m, N700m.

“That is already N1.2bn and their leader confessed in his own right that he collected N300m from the money meant to secure Nigerians against terrorist group called Boko Haram. It is people who diverted such money, who collected it, and they have owned up to it in black and white in their handwriting, that are asking Edo people to surrender the state.”

He pitched the APC to the Edo people as the only party who has their interest at heart, saying the choice is between "a bunch of people whose philosophy is ‘share the state money’ and those who believe that the state money belongs to the people, and the task is for the governor to manage it in a way that will deliver prosperity to the people."

Commending Ambode, he said: “Under your leadership, I have no doubt we couldn’t have had a better campaign organisation. So, I thank you for that. We have a credible messenger that you are going to help us to market and we also have a compelling message to put across to Edo State. We believe the election will be won on the basis of the pedigree of the political parties, the pedigree of the individual and what the two parties have to show to the people.”

READ: Oshiomhole accused of reckless spending

In response, Ambode expressed confidence in the victory of the APC in the Edo governorship election, saying only the party can move Nigeria forward.

dimeji akinloye