… says ‘we’ll resist any move to rubbish Oshiomhole’
- He has many skeletons in his cupboard – Former aide
- Oshiomhole only doing his job as an undertaker – Ologbondiyan
- APC on a macabre dance – Shettima
The Edo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress might have resolved to throw its weight behind the embattled National Chairman of the party, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, who is currently facing the toughest battle of his political career as the head of the ruling party in the country.
This is coming as President Muhammadu Buhari meets this week with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu; APC Governors and other top leaders of the party, to chart the way forward for the party, following series of accusations and allegations against
Oshiomhole.
There had been wide speculations that Oshiomhole might be asked to step aside from his position following the crisis rocking the party in the aftermath of the party’s primaries across the country with different accusations and allegations against the national chairman from aggrieved aspirants and members of the party, including some APC state governors.
The Point reliably gathered that the move to sack Oshiomhole might have been aggravated by the lingering crisis rocking the party and the chairman’s recent grilling by the men of the Department of State Services over allegations relating to the controversial primaries of the party across the country.
A source close to the development told The Point, on the condition of anonymity, that the party’s leadership was very embarrassed by the grilling of the APC chairman by the DSS and Oshiomhole might just be asked to step aside in order not to jeopardise the chances of the ruling party in the forthcoming general elections.
But the APC chairman in Edo State, Barrister Anselem Ojezua, told our correspondent in Benin City on Saturday that the state chapter of the party was solidly behind the embattled chairman despite the pressure being mounted on him. He stated emphatically that the people of the state would resist every move to sack Oshiomhole as the national chairman of the party.
Ojezua specifically dismissed the allegations made against Oshiomhole and the party’s leadership by a former Organising Secretary of the party in the state, Dr. Dr. Aiososa Amadasun.
He dismissed the allegation by Amadasun that women in the party were marginalised, saying the allegation was not true but was based on Amadasun’s personal assumption when she could not coordinate the women effectively in her four-year tenure as Women Leader in the state chapter of the party.
“She (Amadasun) was not able to influence the women for positive collaboration with the party in the state,” Ojezua told our correspondent.
“What is just happening is an unfortunate thing in democracy. Neither myself nor Adams Oshiomhole had the power to choose anybody. We had to follow the rule of law or the process,” he told our correspondent, adding that whatever followed was the result of the process.
“We only followed the constitutional process as we have no power to choose anybody but to follow the rules and due process of the party,” he added.
On whether Comrade Oshiomhole would survive as the chairman of the party, Ojezua said the Edo people would resist any attempt to remove the APC national chairman.
Amadasun had, at a press conference, expressed displeasure over an alleged misdemeanor perpetrated against women in the party by those she described as “so-called leaders of the party” which, according to her, had triggered crisis in the party across the country.
”The recent catastrophic tendencies have not only polarised or fragmented APC in the 36 states of the federation, including the Federal Capital Territory, but have also subjected the party, which preaches internal democracy, to public ridicule and bastardised the vision of the founding fathers, ” Amadasun had alleged.
“Before the emergence of the current National Working Committee, the APC granted waiver to women, as a way of encouraging them to be deeply involved in contesting political positions by granting women nomination forms, free of charge, but the present National Working Committee under the leadership of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole subjected women to harrowing experiences by charging them exorbitant fees to collect nomination forms and yet were screened out,” she had further stated with mixed feelings.
REACTIONS TRAIL OSHIOMHOLE’S ENCOUNTER WITH DSS
Meanwhile, mixed reactions have been trailing the recent quizzing of the embattled APC national chairman by the men of the Department of State Services over allegations of bribery during the recently-concluded primaries of the party across the country.
The immediate past chairman, APC, Ekiti State, Chief Jide Awe, said accusation does not mean that one is guilty until he or she is proven to be guilty.
He said, “Already, there have been insinuations between Oshiomhole and a section of the party, particularly those who want a succession and those National Assembly members, who also want to retain their positions. Anything unexpected may happen. Some of us believe that Oshiomhole is a very reasonable man and that the present situation has a lot to do with the issue of nomination. The leadership of the party should look into this without resulting into serious damage that can affect the party and our future election negatively.
“If it was true that Oshiomhole was invited by the DSS, I think it’s the normal process, once one is accused, he must have some explanation. So, if Oshiomhole as the national chairman of our party was invited by the DSS for explanation, I think it’s the normal process in any system. Accusation does not mean that one is guilty until he is proven to be guilty.”
OSHIOMHOLE HAS MANY SECRETS IN HIS CUPBOARD – FORMER AIDE
However, a former aide of the embattled Oshiomhole, Erasmus Ikhide, who is the senatorial candidate of the African Democratic Party in Edo State, sees the development differently.
“He (Oshiomhole) is my former boss… The truth of the matter is that Nigerians and Edo people are angry with Oshiomhole for his magnitude of (alleged) corruption. He has a lot of secrets in his cupboard. He pretends a lot but he is a fake man. I have worked with him and I know him very well ,” he told The Point at the weekend.
WE’VE BEEN PROVEN RIGHT, HE’S APC’S UNDERTAKER -Ologbondiyan
Spokesman of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, Kola Ologbondiyan, said his party had been proven right by recent developments, having warned earlier that Oshiomhole was an undertaker for the ruling APC.
“When Oshiomhole came into office, the Peoples Democratic Party warned APC that it has gotten an undertaker as national chairman and he has fulfilled our prophesy. So, he’s only fulfilling our prophesy,” Ologbondiyan told our correspondent.
“There is no way APC can win the 2019 elections with or without Oshiomhole because Nigerians have seen through their eyes, the perception, and Nigerians have discovered that there is nothing good about APC to give them a second term. So, we have moved beyond them and Nigerians are now rallying with the Peoples Democratic Party and our candidate, Atiku Abubakar,” the PDP spokesman said.
APC ON A MACABRE DANCE – Shettima, AYCF President
On his part, the National President, Arewa Youths Consultative Forum, Yerima Shettima, said the best thing for Oshiomhole is to follow the path of honour and resign as the chairman of the party.
He said, “Does Oshiohmole have any personality? His personality is ruffled. Look at how they came out to expose him; almost all of them have one trouble or the other. Is that integrity? Unfortunately for him, I would advise him, as he comes back, he can’t fight, there is nothing he can do. All he needs to do is resign and look for alternative for his life.
“Look at all the embarrassment going on. I would be surprised if Oshiomhole comes back tomorrow and still remains in APC as leader without resigning and finding alternative for his life, because an attempt not to resign and still remain there would make him a coward.”
He said, “I am not surprised at all. To me, I have never seen APC as a political party. It is a combination of people who are desperate for power. They got the power, got drunk and abused the power. What we are seeing is the dance of macabre, more are going to be unveiled. As events unfold, you will be surprised.
“That is why I have a lot of sympathy for the former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, who has put every of his efforts because of his desperation. He has forgotten that he will be cut off one day. Look at what is happening today, the embarrassment.”
He added, “The imposition of candidates, lack of internal democracy and all sorts of things within those that are not in power but are more powerful than those in power. This is what is now playing out. We are yet to see more drama because more drama will unfold. My appeal to Nigerians and those who remain in APC is to take the path of honour. This cannot continue, we run a constitutional democracy in Nigeria.
“Things must be done accordingly. Where impunity becomes an order of the day, then you can rest assured that we will never have stability, never have development and nothing good will come out of it. We must ensure that these people are asked to go back to their various homes and rest. People who are willing to serve the people must come on board and begin to provide leadership for the people and put smiles on the face of the people.”
