Adams Oshiomhole, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress and former Edo State governor, on Wednesday rejected Christmas gifts sent to him by the Edo State Government.
It was gathered that messengers from the state government were dispatched to deliver the conventional Christmas presents reserved for former governors of the state to Oshiomhole but were turned back.
The messengers said they met the mother of the former governor, who rejected the items, stating that her son would not accept the gifts.
The gift items meant for Oshiomhole included four cows and 10 bags of rice.
The distribution of Christmas gifts is an annual ritual by the state government, which serves as an expression of love to further strengthen the ties between the government and the people.
The gifts are distributed to government functionaries, political appointees, heads of security agencies, traditional rulers, religious leaders, heads of institutions of higher learning, among other prominent people in society.
Obaseki and Oshiomhole have been locked in a political tussle over the governor’s alleged policy choices focused on prioritising the peoples’ welfare as against alleged pressures from some politicians to share the state’s resources.
The governor had set the political rift aside to perform the ritual of sending the gifts to Oshiomhole.
But the APC has commended the rejection of Obaseki gift by Oshiomhole. A statement signed by the party secretary, Mr Lawrence Okah, stated, “We hail Madam Oshiomhole for rejecting the rice, if the story being cooked from the Edo State Government House is true.
He said the Edo State APC “commends our mother who also doubles as the mother of the APC in Afemai land in rejecting that poisonous gift.”
