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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Elections & Politics

Edo safer under me than Anambra under Obi — Oshiomhole

From The Punch · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Former Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole asserted that security in Edo was better under his administration than in Anambra under Peter Obi.
  • Oshiomhole criticized opposition figures for questioning President Tinubu's security policies without offering practical solutions.
  • He questioned Obi's ability to manage security, citing issues with the Bakassi Boys vigilante group during his tenure.

Adams Oshiomhole, former Edo State Governor and current Senator, has claimed that security in Edo State during his tenure was superior to that of Anambra State under former Governor Peter Obi. Oshiomhole made these remarks while criticizing opposition leaders, including Obi and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, for their critiques of President Bola Tinubu's approach to national security.

Go back to Anambra State and play back. What were the first major decisions that Governor Obiano took when he succeeded Peter Obi as governor?

— Adams OshiomholeChallenging Peter Obi's security record by referencing actions taken by his successor.

Speaking on the Mic On Podcast, Oshiomhole argued that insecurity in Nigeria began during Atiku Abubakar's time as vice president. He specifically challenged Peter Obi's record on security, stating that Obi was unable to control the Bakassi Boys vigilante group in Anambra State. Oshiomhole recalled visuals of Governor Willie Obiano, who succeeded Obi, using bulldozers to demolish properties linked to kidnappers and the Bakassi Boys, suggesting they had become uncontrollable under Obi's leadership.

Peter Obi could not fix security in Anambra State. It took the intervention of Governor Obiano, who took over from him, to begin to destroy the properties of those who he believed had used them for kidnapping… where wife kidnapped husband, husband kidnapped wife. It got to that level

— Adams OshiomholeElaborating on the security situation in Anambra State during Peter Obi's governorship.

"I was a governor then; my state was safer than Anambra," Oshiomhole stated, questioning Obi's capacity to offer concrete solutions to national challenges. He criticized Obi's reliance on vague statements like "do the right thing," asking for specific proposals. Oshiomhole expressed confidence in President Tinubu's re-election prospects in 2027, predicting that Obi would not match his previous vote count.

I was a governor then; my state was safer than Anambra.

— Adams OshiomholeDirectly comparing the security levels in Edo and Anambra states during their respective tenures.

Oshiomhole served as Edo State governor from 2008 to 2016, while Peter Obi governed Anambra State from 2006 to 2014. The senator's comments highlight ongoing political debates regarding security and governance in Nigeria.

Everybody knows that things are not perfect, but a statesman must provide answers… We haven’t heard other than this buzzword, ‘do the right thing.’ What is the right thing? What is the left thing?

— Adams OshiomholeCriticizing Peter Obi's approach to national challenges for lacking specific solutions.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Punch. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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