Edo North Senator and former governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole, has issued a fiery challenge to renowned TV journalist, Dr. Reuben Abati, daring him to a street fight over repeated on-air criticisms against him by the latter.
Oshiomole gave the challenge during an interview on Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’ on Tuesday night.
Visibly agitated during the interview, Oshiomole accused Abati of persistently attacking him from the comfort of the Arise News Channel studio without offering fair context or acknowledging his contributions to national development.
“If you want to abuse me, don’t hide under the TV. Let us meet on the streets and we fight it out,” Oshiomhole said, responding to what he described as Abati’s “consistent mischief and misrepresentation.”
He further criticised Abati for downplaying his labour activism legacy, stating, “Even on Labour Day, he couldn’t credit me for leading protests. This is the same guy who once wrote, ‘Oshiomhole, the People’s President,’ when I was NLC president. Now he is asking, ‘What is my status?’”
Addressing Abati’s antecedents, Oshiomhole reminded listeners that the Ogun State-born TV journalist had once criticised former President Goodluck Jonathan, only to later accept a role as his official spokesman.
“You don’t condemn pounded yam and end up consuming it all over,” Oshiomhole quipped. “After all that, the EFCC arrested him. Was I the one who granted him bail? Now he has left PDP and is where he is?”
He went on to suggest that Abati’s attitude might be influenced by political disappointment. “If you are angry because you wanted to become a deputy governor and you lost the election in Ogun State, is that the reason why you are so paranoid?”
The Senator also addressed a recent controversy surrounding a comment he made during a political rally, which some interpreted as an endorsement of corruption. Oshiomhole clarified that the remark was misunderstood
Recalling the rally, he said: “I jokingly told a young man who decamped from PDP to APC, ‘You have left the party of bad people, now you will live up to your father’s name, Iluobe,’ which in our language means, ‘I don’t do evil.’ This had nothing to do with corruption. The guy wasn’t even a public officer.”
Oshiomhole expressed disappointment in journalists who, in his view, failed to fact-check or replay the full video of the event.
“They had the tape. It was covered live. Let them play it back and say, ‘Fact-check: this is what Oshiomhole said.’ But they chose mischief,” he said.
He further criticised a moment where Abati asked former Delta State governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, whether he sought Oshiomhole’s permission before defecting to the APC.
“I was shocked that a senior editor could ask Okowa, ‘Did you get permission from Oshiomhole that your sins will now be forgiven before you decided to decamp?’” he said. “Okowa didn’t even understand the mischief in that question.”
