I nearly became a convict – Oshiomhole

An ex National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has said that but for a courageous judiciary, he would have been a convict.

He reminisced on his days as a labour leader and recalled that he was frequently arrested for his activities in his fight for a better quality of life for workers.

He said this while hosting members of the Law Students Association of Nigeria (LAWSON) in his office in Abuja at the weekend.

The diminutive former Edo State Governor has been invited by the students as guest speaker at their forthcoming National Conference on Rule of Law..

“I have been a beneficiary of very courageous judiciary.  But 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 the government redline, they deployed  all the weapons, including the police, and arrested me countless times.

“They had me arraigned before magistrates and judges for all kinds of charges, like unlawful assembly and incitement. But each time they did that, I was always 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.”

Oshiomhole, who was a former  Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) president,  also  recalled that his decision to contest for the governorship seat of Edo State would have been truncated but for the judiciary.

He  said: “I am a beneficiary of the rule of law that most Nigerians will remember. I was rigged out of the election in Edo State when I contested for governorship in 2007, but for a very courageous judiciary and the industry of very learned senior members of the bar.

 “I think  I am in history, the only person rigged out of election and courtesy of a  courageous judiciary, I was declared the winner .

“All my life, I will be appreciative of the role of the judiciary in our society notwithstanding whatever criticism anybody may have. For me, I will say without fear or favour that I am a beneficiary of a courageous judiciary.”