By Jide Orintunsin, Abuja

Director General of Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF), Dr. Salihu Moh’ Lukman, has owned up to his comments on erstwhile National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole.

He offered to be held responsible for his comment, instead of attributing them to the party’s governors.

The director general said he holds Oshiomhole in high esteem and will not join issues with him.

Reacting to Oshiomhole outburst against his (Lukman’s) constant attacks on the former party chairman and the ruling party, the PGF boss stressed that he was not a spokesman for any governor.

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Addressing reporters on Tuesday in Abuja, Lukman said: “You are all aware of the statement attributed to …Comrade Oshiomhole. I want to make two brief statements as a rider to what I will call an appeal. The first statement is to say very unequivocally that I hold Comrade Oshiomhole in very high esteem.

“I respect him, not just as a leader of APC, but as a person I have had very good relationship with. My relationship with him is special; it is not in the way people imagine. The question of agreeing or disagreeing has been part of our relationship. I respect him and I respect every leader of the party.

“My prayer and hope is that our leaders will be able to have the needed large heart to tolerate one another and tolerate all of us because, as human beings, God has created us differently. And it is the basis of the test of leadership – to be able to show an open, accommodating disposition to each one of us.

“The second statement I want to make is that I grew up in a very complex extended family set-up. One of the things it has done in terms of my personal make-up is that it imposes on me to be accountable at every point.”