THINGS ARE FALLING APART for Adams Oshiomhole, National Chairman of Nigeria’s ruling party, All Progressive Congress, APC. His exit from office as the party’s national chairman is imminent. Oshiomhole was recruited by the party ahead of 2019 general elections to carry out hatchet job against the opposition. Oshiomhole, indeed, engaged in hatchet jobs, not only against the opposition, also against his party.
Lawal Shuaibu, Deputy National Chairman, All Progressives Congress, APC, North, said the strength of political party was on the number of states won during elections. APC led in 23 states in Nigeria after 2015 general elections, but has lost seven to the opposition after 2019 general elections, including the loss of a sitting government in Zamfara.
Shuaibu said, the complete loss of APC’s electoral fortunes by a sitting government in Zamfara, was directly created by Adams Oshiomhole. He said the party is on the path of extinction in some states following the conduct of the last primaries ahead of the 2019 general elections.
“Apart from the President, more than 60 per cent of members including those that contested elections under the APC in 2019, are not happy with the process as it left a lot to be desired. We have court cases in every state, by far much more than it was in 2015 and I wonder how much money the party is likely to spend on litigations arising from mistakes of the national chairman,” Shuaibu said.
In a letter dated May 27, addressed to Oshiomhole, Shuaibu accused him of incompetence, high handedness and immaturity in handling party affairs, and requested the national chairman to resign for failing to “add any value to the APC” since taking office. The letter was made available to newsmen at the National Secretariat of the party, Tuesday, in Abuja. He said APC has lost control of seven states under Oshiomhole’s leadership.
“In advanced democracies, people who failed to add value or build over and above what they met on assumption of duty, show some civilised examples; they honourably bow out. In that connection therefore, I want to advise you to take the path of honour, to step aside. I have nothing personal, except that I love this party and cannot keep quiet seeing it being brutally murdered,” Shuaibu said.
“I am a critical stakeholder in the APC project and therefore, have a stake for which I reserve the right to write this letter to you. This is however, in addition to my being a legitimately elected Deputy National Chairman, North at the last National Convention, and not because I have any higher stake in APC than any other member.
“It is my honest opinion that your ability to ensure this party flourishes is deficient as you lack the necessary composure and you also don’t possess the capabilities and requisite experience to run a political party. The respect APC was commanding among its members and sympathisers have been completely eroded, while the goodwill has equally evaporated,” Shuaibu stated in the letter.
He said Oshiomhole engages threats in dealing with party members – including governors, senators, ministers and other government officials whose duties have no direct bearing with the chairman’s function. The attitude of shouting and giving marching instructions to government officials on television and on pages of newspapers, by the APC national chairman, was a souring point for Shuaibu.
He said he was not criticizing Oshiomhole’s conduct and style of leadership because he was interested in the party’s chairman, but because he loved the party. He cannot aspire for APC national chairmanship position, as long as President Buhari is in office. Both are from North West geo-political zone.
Oshiomhole’s resignation, according to Shuaibu, was critical to allow the party reconstruct in states weakened by the effects of the last elections primaries.
