I did not accuse el-Rufai of sponsoring bandits, kidnappers ― Oshiomhole

Former national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, has denied reports in the social media of accusing Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai of having a hand in the banditry and killings presently ravaging the state.

In a statement, Friday night titled “Fake News Alert” and made available to journalists in Benin by his Media Aide, Mr Victor Oshioke, the former Edo State governor said that a report by an unnamed “obscure online media” misrepresented the speech he delivered at the 2nd Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) National Peace and Security Summit, held in Abuja on Thursday, April 29, 2021.

Oshiomhole insisted at no time did he make reference to Governor El-Rufai or the retrenchment of civil servants by the Kaduna state government, during the entire speech.

The ex-NLC president stated: “As rightly reported by all the mainstream national newspapers and television networks that gave media coverage at the event, I blamed the worsening security situation in the country partly on the massive closure of factories over the years by successive governments.

“Specifically, I mentioned the closure of textile factories in Kaduna, Kano, and Lagos; the closure of Dunlop, Michelin Tyre factories and Bata, Lemards Shoe factories. I opined that the closure of factories in Kaduna alone affected over 35,000 workers and possibly the same number in Kano.

“At no time during the entire speech did I make reference to Gov. Nasir El-Rufai or the retrenchment of civil servants by the Kaduna state government.”

He said that there was no consonance of opinion in the position he advocated as being responsible for the heightened security challenges in Nigeria today and that of the NLC President, Comrade Ayuba Fhilibus Wabba, as can be clearly deduced from the accurate reports of the newspaper correspondents and electronic media personnel that were present at the summit.

He added: “I, therefore, call on the general public to disregard attempt by some online platforms to attribute to me statements and positions I do not promote.”