APC Is Not a Church – Oshiomhole Refutes Claims of Instant Redemption Through Party Switch”

Former Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, has refuted claims that he ever said individuals who defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC) automatically have their sins forgiven.

Speaking on Wednesday at the 28th Founder’s Day Lecture of Independent Television and Radio, themed “Nigeria, Where Are We Going?”, Oshiomhole clarified the context of his previous statement that had sparked controversy.

According to him, the remark was made in jest during a conversation with a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) whose surname, “Iluobe,” translates to “I do no wrong.” Oshiomhole explained that upon the individual’s defection to the APC, he playfully urged him to continue living up to the meaning of his name. However, that lighthearted exchange, he said, has since been misrepresented to suggest he implied that all political sins are erased upon joining the APC.

Addressing the ongoing wave of defections from the PDP, the senator criticized former Vice President Atiku Abubakar for condemning former Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, and his successor, Sheriff Oborevwori, for moving to the APC.

Oshiomhole argued that Atiku lacks the moral ground to attack defectors, as he himself has a long history of switching political parties. He added that Atiku only raises objections when political shifts don’t work in his favor.