Senator representing Edo North, Adams Oshiomhole, has challenged Arise TV anchor and ex-presidential spokesperson, Dr Reuben Abati, to a fight over his disrespectful comments on television. He recently revealed that Abati’s comments were very mischievous with his statement about him to Ifeanyi Okowa.
Speaking during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Oshiomhole revealed that he was stunned to hear Abati ask Okowa if he promised to wipe off all of his sins as soon as he decamps to APC, and it is simply absurd that the Arise TV anchor would even believe he had such powers within the All Progressives Congress.
Blasting Reuben during the interview, the senator recalled when he was shamelessly arrested by the EFCC after his time as GEJ’s spokesperson, wondering if he was the one who granted him permission to leave the PDP.
“I was particularly shocked that a senior editor could ask the immediate past governor of Delta state, Okowa, mischievously, I must say, with all due respect, ‘did you get permission from Oshiomhole that your sins will now be forgiven before you decided to decamp to APC?’
How can you ask that? What is my status? I am in the legislature. Is the legislature responsible for the prosecution of anyone wrong in any way?
The man who made that statement was at a time invited by the EFCC after he was Jonathan’s spokesman, shamelessly. Thereafter, EFCC arrested him. Was I the one who granted him bail to leave PDP to go where he is?” he said.
He further slammed Abati for intentionally failing to acknowledge his crucial role in labour movements, especially on May Day.
According to him, the presenter refused to credit him as one of the labour leaders who fought very hard for Nigerian workers while leading several protests to improve their welfare in the country.
“Even on Labour Day, he was saying some labour leaders who had been involved in picketing and fought for workers; he could not even credit me with the fact that I led the protest. This is a guy who wrote ‘Oshiomhole the people’s president’ when I was president of the NLC.
Rather than crediting me with that, he said when they leave NLC, they now go and become governors,” Oshiomhole said.
He then challenged Reuben to a street fight since he cannot get over the pain that came with failing to become a deputy governor in Nigeria and losing a key election in Ogun State.
“If you are angry because you wanted to be a deputy governor and you lost an election in Ogun state, is that the reason you are paranoid, that every opportunity you want to abuse me? If you want to abuse me, don’t hide behind the TV; let’s meet in the street and fight it out,” he added.
