The former national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole has said that he and his party were prepared to “meet violence with violence” in the coming September 19 governorship election in Edo State.
Oshiomhole, a former governor of Edo State stated this during an interview with Arise Television on Monday.
The governor of the state, Godwin Obaseki recently announced that he was going to ensure a stiff penalty against perpetrators of violence in the state.
But noting that the governor was referring to the APC supporters, Oshiomhole said his party would not stand and just watch Obaseki and his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) steal the peoples mandate, without doing something.
“We will meet violence with violence,” he told his interviewer. He added, “If they want violence, we will give them violence.”
Oshiomhole had four years ago campaigned fiercely for Obaseki to become his successor to the extent that he made several damning allegations against the then PDP’s governorship candidate, Osagie Ize-Iyamu.
However, Oshiomhole is currently campaigning fiercely for Ize-Iyamu, who is now the APC governorship candidate, amid all the allegations he levelled against him four years ago.
On why he would want his former godson removed as Edo State governor, the former APC chairman said that Obaseki failed to meet the expectations of Edo people.
Also questioning Obaseki’s academic qualifications, Oshiomhole reiterated that he regretted ensuring Obaseki emerged the state’s governor in 2016 without asking for his certificate.