Oshiomhole spoke Friday in Abuja when the leadership of the Law Students Association of Nigeria (LAWSON) paid him a courtesy visit to invite him to speak at a forthcoming conference on the rule of law in Nigeria.
Recall that Chief Robert Clerk had recently on a national Television called for military intervention to solve Nigeria’s current challenges.
But Oshiomhole described Clerk’s prescription as unlawful.
He said the first thing that suffers under the military is the rule of law, adding that for anyone who is familiar to the military system like Clerk should tender apology to Nigerians.
He called on Nigerians to have faith in the country, saying he won’t give up on Nigeria.
He also described those calling for separation in the country as “poor students of history.”
The former APC national chairman made reference to his time as NLC President when he opposed attempt by the then National Assembly to impeach former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
“Incidentally I watched on a national Television one of your very senior colleagues, Chief Robert Clerk, I was shocked when I saw him calling on the President to handover to the military, I thought that was the height of irresponsibility, giving his knowledge, giving his age and a very senior member of the bar and what is it that he wanted? He wants a military that will restructure Nigeria. It is again for me senseless because the structure as it is today, who put it in place? Who overthrew the parliamentary system?
“The parliamentary system was overthrown by the Nigerian military, that is on record. Who created 12 states from the four regions by decree? It was the military. The current 36 states and FCT who created it by military decree? It was the military. How can anybody who has lived through and who is familiar with our journey as a nation think that the solution to our problems as a nation is to handover to the military? I thought, talking about the rule of Law that is treason.
“You know we have freedom of speech but it does not include the freedom to canvass unlawful means to effect a change. When you canvas unlawful means, then you should be arraigned before a court of law and dealt with according to the law. Ignorance is not even an excuse in law, not to talk of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
“I think that even in our moment of distress and regardless of what anybody thinks, the world has resolved and Nigeria is part of it that never again shall we be govern by an unelected government, never, we don’t want unelected Angels.”