According to a report by TheCable on Friday, July 25, 2025, former Edo State Governor, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, has stated that he had liked Peter Obi from their time as governors.
Oshiomhole made the comment during an interview on Prime Time, an Arise Television programme, on Friday, while addressing the controversy surrounding a warning issued by Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo, who advised Peter Obi not to visit the state without notifying the government or obtaining security clearance.
“Peter Obi was my colleague, and we knew each other very well. I liked him then, and I still do, but politically, we don’t agree. I do not subscribe to his views on certain matters,” Oshiomhole said.
Defending the governor’s position, Oshiomhole emphasized that his remarks were not a personal attack on the former presidential candidate but a matter of protocol and institutional respect.
He noted that any politically exposed individual planning to visit a government facility should inform the sitting governor out of courtesy and responsibility.
According to Oshiomhole, such practice is not unusual and should not be misinterpreted as an attempt to restrict anyone’s constitutional right to freedom of movement.
He further pointed out that the school in question, which Obi visited, is fully funded and maintained by the state government.
His remarks followed growing backlash against Governor Okpebholo, who had linked Obi’s recent visit to St. Philomena Hospital School of Nursing Sciences—where Obi donated N15 million—to a security breach that allegedly led to the deaths of three individuals.
The governor’s comments sparked widespread criticism from civil society organizations, legal experts, and opposition figures who accused him of attempting to intimidate political opponents.
Many called on him to withdraw the statement and apologize to Obi, a former governor of Anambra State.
However, Oshiomhole urged Nigerians to separate politics from governance protocol.
He reiterated that informing the state’s leadership is not about seeking permission, but rather ensuring order, security, and mutual respect among political figures.
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