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No Law Prohibits Employment Of Ex-Convict– Oshiomole Reacts To Appointment Of Abu Millionaire As Campaign Director-General

Oshiomole

SaharaReporters had exposed how the newly appointed Director General of the Adam Oshiomhole Campaign Organization, Lawani was sentenced to Kirikiri Correctional Centre in Lagos for armed robbery in the mid-1990s.

Former Edo State Governor and ruling All Progressives Congress Senatorial Candidate for Edo North, Adams Oshiomhole has said he has no knowledge that his campaign organisation Director-General, Abdulganiyu Lawani, popularly known as Abu Millionaire is an ex-convict.

SaharaReporters had exposed how the newly appointed Director General of the Adam Oshiomhole Campaign Organization, Lawani was sentenced to Kirikiri Correctional Centre in Lagos for armed robbery in the mid-1990s.

Around the time he got into trouble, it was said that Abu Millionaire was in the military and got dismissed for the same offence he was convicted of.

“Abu Millionaire as he is fondly known is a native of Warrake in Owan East Local Government. He had served in the Artillery Unit of the Nigerian Army but got involved in an armed robbery operation while in army uniform. He was arrested, charged and tried in a competent court of jurisdiction and subsequently sentenced to a prison term of five years,” a source had told SaharaReporters.

“This was in the mid-1990s. He served his five-year jail term at the Kirikiri Medium Correctional Centre. He was thereafter, dismissed from the Nigerian Army.”

Another source added that since he got his freedom, Abu Millionaire has been finding his level in politics and social circles where he is a big spender at parties.

“His past and commanding position in the circle of louts in Edo have also served for something among some top politicians in the state, who pay him allegedly for unwholesome reasons.

“This holds true of his once-upon-a-time relationship with Senator Francis Alimikhena, the Senator representing Edo North in the National Assembly, which was of mutual benefits.

“At the height of it, Alimikhena gifted him a Toyota Hilux vehicle before their relationship went south on account of the political intrigues that characterized the emergence of Oshiomohole as Edo North senatorial candidate of the APC, at the expense of the Senator, who sought the same ticket of the ruling party.

“The ex-governor's choice is being received with excitement in PDP circle, while it is causing ripples among members of APC in the state as many feel he is not worthy of the office based on alleged intellectual disability. Equally, his appointment is viewed in some quarters as a disservice to his principal’s ambition,” he had said.

Reacting to the story, media aide to the former Edo Governor, Victor Oshioke, said the campaign organization has no information to suggest that Abu Millionaire was convicted for any offence, not to mention for armed robbery as reported.

Oshioke added that he doubts if there is any law prohibiting the employment or appointment of someone who was convicted for a crime, served his sentence and reintegrated back into society.

He said, “We received your inquiries concerning Abdulganiyu Lawani aka Abu Millonaire. We wish to state that the Adams Oshiomhole campaign has no information to suggest that he has ever been convicted for any offense, not to mention for armed robbery as alleged in your report. Abu Millionaire is an accomplished politician, unarguably one of the most respected APC leaders in Edo State.

“He has been prominent in the political scene for over a decade and nobody has ever raised questions about his past or present character. It is therefore a surprise to read about allegations made against his person in your report. We have reasons to suspect that his recent appointment as the DG of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole’s 2023 Edo North Senate run is causing panic in many quarters including within the ranks of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) and perhaps among disgruntled elements in our party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo North.

“Like you accurately observed in your report, Abu Millionaire was a close ally of Senator Francis Alimikhena and he was instrumental to the victories of the Senator in his first and second term Senate runs. “However, his decision to withdraw support for Alimikhena’s unprecedented and unpopular third term ambition for the Edo North Senate seat contributed to Alimikhena's loss of the APC ticket to Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, where Alimikhena scored 5 votes against Oshiomhole’s 309 votes at the APC primary election held on the 27th May 2022 in the Auchi Polytechnic Sports Centre Auchi Edo State.

“While we are not surprised that Alimikhena's team, for lack of ideas and decorum could go after Abu Millionaire to smear his name, we never envisaged that they will stoop so low to merchandise arrant falsehoods against a man who they prized so much just a few weeks ago.

“For the avoidance of doubt, Alhaji Abdulganiyu Lawani is a successful businessman, grassroots mobilizer, philanthropist and community leader. His nickname ‘Abu Millonaire’ was genuinely earned from his kinsmen not because he displayed his bank account statements to convince anyone that he is a millionaire, but because of his acts of generosity and personal interventions worth millions of Naira towards human and infrastructural development in his community and for the benefit of his people.

“It is unfortunate that attempts are being made to drag the reputation of such a man of goodwill in the mud just to score cheap political points.

“Armed robbery is a felony offence which upon conviction attracts very stiff sentences like death penalty, life or very long imprisonment. It is very unlikely that someone will receive a mild sentence of 5 years imprisonment for armed robbery as alleged in your report.

“In any case, I doubt if there is any law prohibiting the employment or appointment of someone who was convicted for a crime, served his sentence and rehabilitated himself back into society. The purpose of imprisonment is for punishment and rehabilitation not for stigmatisation and condemnation.”

 

 

 

 

 

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