How I Escaped Being An Ex-Convict – Oshiomhole

Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has paid tribute to the courage of the Nigerian judiciary which he said saved him from having the tag of an ex-convict upon his several interactions with law enforcement agencies during his labour days.

 GreenWhiteGreen GWG reports that Oshiomhole was a labour leader prior to his entry into partisan politics.

Receiving a delegation of the Law Students Association of Nigeria LAWSAN led by its president, Mr Blessing Agbonmhere, he said that upon his personal experience, that Nigeria cannot afford to jettison the rule of law.

He said:

“I always say that I have been a beneficiary of very courageous judiciary and for a courageous judiciary, I would have been a convict because in the course of my work as a trade union leader, when I stepped on government’s redline, of course they deployed all the weapons including the police, had me arrested countless times, arraigned before magistrates and high court for all kinds of charges, including unlawful assembly, incitement and all the things you can think of.

“But each time they did that, I was fortunate to appear before judges with courage. I have been defended by lawyers, who most of the time provided their knowledge of the law and intellectual sagacity to defend me from government after government whether it was military and later civilian.

“I cannot count how many times I was prosecuted and even persecuted,” Oshiomhole said.

“I am a beneficiary of the rule of law. Perhaps the most outstanding which most Nigerians will readily remember was the fact that I was rigged out of election in Edo State when I contested for Governorship in 2007 and thanks to a very courageous judiciary and the industry of very learned senior members of the bar, not only was the fact of rigging established before the court and at the appeal level, I think, I am in history as the only person who has been rigged out of election and courtesy of a courageous judiciary, I was declared the winner and INEC was ordered to swear me in rather than simply cancelling the election and ask me to go and repeat for an examination I did not fail but because somebody else did not do his part.

“All my life, I remain every appreciative of the role of judiciary in our society not withstanding whatever criticism anybody may have. For me, I will say without fear or favour that I am a beneficiary of a courageous judiciary”.

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