Former Rivers State governor Rotimi Amaechi has dared Senator Adams Oshiomhole to release his academic qualifications to the public, following recent remarks describing the ex-minister as shallow and politically inconsistent.
During a media appearance on Rapid TV, Amaechi linked the senator's criticisms to his own historical involvement in orchestrating Oshiomhole's exit as the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC). According to the former transport minister, he spearheaded the coalition that removed Oshiomhole from office due to perceived incompetence in managing party affairs.
"He is pained because I led the team that removed him as chairman," Amaechi asserted, arguing that the Edo lawmaker lacked the administrative capacity to lead the ruling political platform.
To counter questions regarding his own competence, Amaechi detailed his educational background, which includes multiple degrees obtained both locally and internationally, and demanded that Oshiomhole similarly authenticate his schooling credentials.
Why did the feud escalate?
The verbal confrontation began when Oshiomhole criticized Amaechi's political trajectory, branding him as unreliable and accusing him of continuously targeting the APC administration and President Bola Tinubu.
Amaechi fired back by highlighting past political alignments, reminding the public that Oshiomhole had previously endorsed his leadership during his tenure as the chairman of the Nigeria Governors' Forum, questioning why his intellectual capacity was only recently being called into question.
In his counter-attack, Oshiomhole questioned Amaechi's political integrity, pointing to past remarks where the former governor supposedly denounced the presidential primary process of the opposition as fraudulent before later aligning with key political figures.
The senator also brought up allegations regarding Amaechi's stewardship in Rivers State, claiming that public funds were mismanaged and numerous infrastructural projects were left uncompleted.
Amaechi swiftly refuted these financial impropriety claims, questioning why the lawmaker chose to remain silent for over a decade before leveling such accusations. He maintained that the claims lacked substance and were merely politically motivated attacks.