Oshiomhole: I won’t fight Sylva, my brother, on the streets

Adams Oshiomhole, governor of Edo state, says despite his disagreement with Timpre Sylva, former governor of Bayelsa state, over the botched primary election in Bayelsa, Sylva “remains his brother”.

Oshiomhole, who is the chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) electoral panel in Bayelsa, has been engaged in war of words with Sylva in recent times.

The Edo state governor had asked the leadership of the party to reschedule the primary, saying he had to leave the state without conducting the exercise because of violence,.

But Sylva, who maintained that he is the candidate of the party for the December 5 governorship election, said an election took place after Oshiomhole left and he was declared winner of that election.

He accused Oshiomhole of supporting another candidate.

Addressing journalists in Abuja on Monday, Oshiomhole said Sylva was in need of “serious help”.

“Sylva is my brother and I’m not going to fight him on the street. I’m not just calling him my brother. I have sent him a text saying as my brother before the election, he will remain my brother,” he said.

“I will not create burden for anyone. In the tradition that I am coming from, democracy has only one meaning ‘one man one vote’. It is a covenant between me and my God.

“I have fought electoral fraud in Edo and God mercifully aided me and we defeated some of the progressive forces. If there is nothing else I can do, the principle of one man one vote is something I’m committed to.

“These are no secrets that transpired, I am not the issue and I don’t want to be the issue. There are issues that are important to me. This one, I didn’t go there as a governor. I went there as a party member on a national assignment by the party and it is a great honour.”