Northern Democratic Front Accuses Oshiomhole of Lies, Defamation Over Akpabio, NNPC Claims

Northern Democratic Front Accuses Oshiomhole of Lies, Defamation Over Akpabio, NNPC Claims
By Our Correspondent, Abuja

The Northern Democratic Front (NDF), a political advocacy group, has strongly condemned Senator Adams Oshiomhole over a recent interview in which it said the former governor made several reckless, unsubstantiated, and defamatory statements concerning the Senate Committee on Public Accounts, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), and the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio GCON.

In a strongly worded press statement issued on Sunday, the NDF said that while it respects the right of any senator to air legitimate concerns, it cannot stand idly by while falsehoods are peddled and the integrity of the Senate leadership is attacked through baseless allegations.

The group specifically took issue with Senator Oshiomhole’s public labelling of NNPC staff as thieves, describing the blanket criminalisation as irresponsible and unbecoming of a former governor and national leader of a ruling party. The NDF challenged the Senator to present any verifiable evidence of wrongdoing to the appropriate anti-graft agencies rather than resorting to media trial and mob psychology.

The Northern Democratic Front also condemned what it called the uncalled-for warrant of arrest issued by Senator Oshiomhole as a mere member of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts against the former Group Managing Director of NNPCL, Malam Mele Kyari. The group said the action raises serious questions about due process and the proper limits of parliamentary oversight, especially coming from a committee member rather than the committee chairman.

According to the NDF, Senator Oshiomhole’s unsubstantiated claims against the President of the Senate are a clear attempt to deflect attention from his own controversial conduct. The group dismissed as completely unfounded the Senator’s allegation that the President of the Senate is acting out of personal interest and that there is a plot to demarket him ahead of the next Senate Presidency election.

The NDF stated that Senator Akpabio has consistently performed his duties with fairness and in accordance with Senate rules, adding that while Senator Oshiomhole is free to nurse ambition for the office of Senate President, fabricating victimhood to garner sympathy is a disservice to democratic discourse.

The most disturbing accusation, the group said, was Senator Oshiomhole’s claim that the Senate President secured an appointment for his daughter in the NNPCL. The Northern Democratic Front described this as an outright lie, stating that none of Senator Akpabio’s daughters is employed by the NNPCL. The group challenged Senator Oshiomhole to produce the name, designation, or any official record of such an appointment, insisting that he cannot because it does not exist.

The NDF observed that Senator Oshiomhole’s recent string of attacks on the person and office of Senator Akpabio suggests a dangerous desperation, adding that it appears the Senator believes he can blackmail, intimidate, or lie his way to the leadership of the Senate. The group reminded him that Nigeria is a democracy governed by laws, rules, and established legislative procedures, and that leadership positions are earned through persuasion, competence, and integrity – not through media mudslinging or personal vilification.

The Northern Democratic Front called on Senator Oshiomhole to retract his false statement regarding the appointment of Senator Akpabio’s daughter to the NNPCL, to provide evidence for his claim that NNPC staff are thieves or face legitimate censure, and to respect the institution of the Senate and its leadership while pursuing his political ambitions through democratic engagement rather than blackmail and defamation.

The group further called for an investigation into the issuance of the arrest warrant against Malam Mele Kyari, noting that it was done without following proper legal channels and despite Senator Oshiomhole not being the committee chairman.

The press statement was signed by Comrade Abdullahi Suleiman, National Publicity Secretary of the Northern Democratic Front.

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