POLITICS:Oshiomhole: Governors divided as El-Rufai, Ganduje, others battle Akeredolu, Bello, Obaseki
The battle for and against the Adams Oshiomhole’s leadership of the All
Progressives Congress (APC) has taken a new turn, with some governors
and party chieftains forming opposing groups, ostensibly to garner support
for the removal or the retention of the National Chairman. There had been
frantic efforts aimed at curbing the crisis from skyrocketing, with the state
chairmen of the party recently passing a vote of confidence in Oshiomhole,
but the matter has refused to abate as it keeps rearing its ugly head.
The APC Deputy National Chairman (North), Senator Lawal Shuaibu, had in a
letter to Oshiomhole called for his resignation, saying Oshiomhole lacks
capacity to lead the party given the number of states the party lost in the last
election. Similarly, the former National Chairman of the party, Chief John
Odigie-Oyegun, accused Oshiomhole of conducting the most fraudulent
primaries in the history of political parties in Nigeria. In the latest
development, the crisis has pitched some governors and party chieftains
against one other, with the state helmsmen forming parallel groups in
support for and against Oshiomhole. A source within the national hierarchy of
the party informed Saturday Telegraph that the latest division amongst the
governors’ ranks, came up as a result of the call for Oshiomhole’s
resignation. “On the position of the governors, they are divided, they are not
united.
There are those who agree with the Deputy National Chairman and there are
those against the call. The Governor of Kaduna State, El-Rufai, is supporting
the National Chairman but we are not interested in that. “For us we don’t
want this thing to continue because if it continues we are the ones it would
affect the more. But at the highest level, we are doing everything we could”,
he noted.
It was also gathered that some of the state party chairmen, who passed a
vote of confidence in Oshiomhole did so to either save the party from
disintegration or to show solidarity with their state governors, while others
did so to prove their loyalty to the number-one man in the party. Some of the
state chairmen, who spoke with Saturday Telegraph on the condition of
anonymity, confirmed that they had to back Oshiomhole so that the party
would not disintegrate. One of the chairman, who hails from the northern part
of the country, assured that the action will save the party from further crisis
because the state governors would have no choice than to toe their line.
“Yes, the Forum of the APC State chairmen on Thursday gave Oshiomhole a
vote of confidence. We did what we should do. You know that the Deputy
National Chairman (North), Senator Lawal Shuaibu is calling for
Oshiomhole’s resignation. “And no doubt, the issue has divided the
governors of the APC and the state party chairmen. Even members of the
National Assembly are divided over the call. So, we had to save the party
with our action”, he said.
However, checks by Saturday Telegraph revealed that the crisis is far from
over as the Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, is said to be
leading an onslaught of pro-Oshiomhole governors against their col leagues
who are seen as anti- Oshiomhole governors. A highly placed official of the
party, who also confirmed the development, informed our correspondent that
El-Rufai is teaming up with the Governor of Kano, Abdullahi Ganduje, to lead
the governors who are in support of Oshiomhole, while the governors of Edo,
Ondo and Kogi states, Godwin Obaseki, Rotimi Akeredolu and Yahya Bello,
are on the opposing side, scheming to oust Oshiomhole.
According to the source, the Kaduna State governor is the one leading the
governors who believe that the call for the resignation of the party chairman
is wrong. Though some of the governors are said to be indifferent to the
situation, many of them are poised to be on different sides.
While some governors are indifferent to the call that the APC National
Chairman should resign, the governors of Kogi, Ondo, and Edo are said to be
supporting the call for the resignation of Oshiomhole. Further checks by our
correspondent however re-vealed that the Progressive Governors Forum will
soon meet on the crisis in the party, but every attempt to confirm that from
the chairman, the governor of Kebbi State, Senator Atiku Bagudu proved
abortive, as he was out of the nation’s capital.
Nonetheless, one of the states’ party chairmen told Saturday Telegraph that
the emergence of the National Assembly leadership is going to play a key
role in the fate of Oshiomhole as chairman. According to him, when the
National Assembly is properly constituted, the APC caucus in the Upper and
Lower chambers would also have a voice over the crisis in the party, just like
the state chairmen have done. “There is no way all stakeholders will agree
on a particular issue but you know that the states chairmen are the pillars of
the party. We have done what we think is in the best interest of the party.
Though some of us are following the dictates of their governors, while some
voted to spite their own governors, because they are not in tune with them.
“Party politics is local, all the state chairmen are in charge of the states. They
know the local government chairmen, they know the ward chairmen and they
know everything. So if at that level they can come together and say this is
where we belong to, in order to douse tension, they should be listened to.
“If they try to support any side, you will see that APC will be worse than the
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that experienced such a thing last time
after the election. “The issue of the removal of the National Chairman at this
time is an ill wind that would blow no one any good and it also depends on
how it is done. So, having looked at the atmosphere within the party, ours is
just a kind of stabilisation. “Let us remove our minds from the present
tension, as you know the National Assembly has not been inaugurated. We
should focus on the inauguration of the National Assembly and after we
should come back.
“Nobody is saying no because we know that there were a lot of mistakes
made during the primaries and in other areas of administration of the party
but you don’t solve problems by creating more problems. “We have to take
these issues one after the other. You have to look at the overall interest of
the party at the material time. So, we didn’t want to join issues with those
calling for his resignation but to say for now we have confidence in him. We
say we are not going to back any side, let the status quo remain for now. It
is the name you give to your dog that it answers but at the same time we
made it very clear that there are areas that need change.”
In the opinion of a senator, who also spoke on the crisis and vote of
confidence passed in the National Chairman, he said the chairmen are not
the conscience of the party, arguing that the case would be looked into after
the inauguration of 9th Assembly. “All the issues raised by the APC Deputy
National Chairman (North) and the former National Chairman, Chief John
Odigie-Oyegun against Oshiomhole would be looked into one after the other.
We would also bring in the President into this. “Allegations against the
National Chairman are weighty, especially what happened during the
primaries. Those of us that contested for the party’s ticket would be able to
say what happened and not the state party chairmen.” But the APC Deputy
National Publicity Secretary, Yekini Nabena, called on Buhari and the
National Leader of APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, to intervene, saying that the
leaders of the party needed to intervene to save the party.
Progressives Congress (APC) has taken a new turn, with some governors
and party chieftains forming opposing groups, ostensibly to garner support
for the removal or the retention of the National Chairman. There had been
frantic efforts aimed at curbing the crisis from skyrocketing, with the state
chairmen of the party recently passing a vote of confidence in Oshiomhole,
but the matter has refused to abate as it keeps rearing its ugly head.
The APC Deputy National Chairman (North), Senator Lawal Shuaibu, had in a
letter to Oshiomhole called for his resignation, saying Oshiomhole lacks
capacity to lead the party given the number of states the party lost in the last
election. Similarly, the former National Chairman of the party, Chief John
Odigie-Oyegun, accused Oshiomhole of conducting the most fraudulent
primaries in the history of political parties in Nigeria. In the latest
development, the crisis has pitched some governors and party chieftains
against one other, with the state helmsmen forming parallel groups in
support for and against Oshiomhole. A source within the national hierarchy of
the party informed Saturday Telegraph that the latest division amongst the
governors’ ranks, came up as a result of the call for Oshiomhole’s
resignation. “On the position of the governors, they are divided, they are not
united.
There are those who agree with the Deputy National Chairman and there are
those against the call. The Governor of Kaduna State, El-Rufai, is supporting
the National Chairman but we are not interested in that. “For us we don’t
want this thing to continue because if it continues we are the ones it would
affect the more. But at the highest level, we are doing everything we could”,
he noted.
It was also gathered that some of the state party chairmen, who passed a
vote of confidence in Oshiomhole did so to either save the party from
disintegration or to show solidarity with their state governors, while others
did so to prove their loyalty to the number-one man in the party. Some of the
state chairmen, who spoke with Saturday Telegraph on the condition of
anonymity, confirmed that they had to back Oshiomhole so that the party
would not disintegrate. One of the chairman, who hails from the northern part
of the country, assured that the action will save the party from further crisis
because the state governors would have no choice than to toe their line.
“Yes, the Forum of the APC State chairmen on Thursday gave Oshiomhole a
vote of confidence. We did what we should do. You know that the Deputy
National Chairman (North), Senator Lawal Shuaibu is calling for
Oshiomhole’s resignation. “And no doubt, the issue has divided the
governors of the APC and the state party chairmen. Even members of the
National Assembly are divided over the call. So, we had to save the party
with our action”, he said.
However, checks by Saturday Telegraph revealed that the crisis is far from
over as the Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, is said to be
leading an onslaught of pro-Oshiomhole governors against their col leagues
who are seen as anti- Oshiomhole governors. A highly placed official of the
party, who also confirmed the development, informed our correspondent that
El-Rufai is teaming up with the Governor of Kano, Abdullahi Ganduje, to lead
the governors who are in support of Oshiomhole, while the governors of Edo,
Ondo and Kogi states, Godwin Obaseki, Rotimi Akeredolu and Yahya Bello,
are on the opposing side, scheming to oust Oshiomhole.
According to the source, the Kaduna State governor is the one leading the
governors who believe that the call for the resignation of the party chairman
is wrong. Though some of the governors are said to be indifferent to the
situation, many of them are poised to be on different sides.
While some governors are indifferent to the call that the APC National
Chairman should resign, the governors of Kogi, Ondo, and Edo are said to be
supporting the call for the resignation of Oshiomhole. Further checks by our
correspondent however re-vealed that the Progressive Governors Forum will
soon meet on the crisis in the party, but every attempt to confirm that from
the chairman, the governor of Kebbi State, Senator Atiku Bagudu proved
abortive, as he was out of the nation’s capital.
Nonetheless, one of the states’ party chairmen told Saturday Telegraph that
the emergence of the National Assembly leadership is going to play a key
role in the fate of Oshiomhole as chairman. According to him, when the
National Assembly is properly constituted, the APC caucus in the Upper and
Lower chambers would also have a voice over the crisis in the party, just like
the state chairmen have done. “There is no way all stakeholders will agree
on a particular issue but you know that the states chairmen are the pillars of
the party. We have done what we think is in the best interest of the party.
Though some of us are following the dictates of their governors, while some
voted to spite their own governors, because they are not in tune with them.
“Party politics is local, all the state chairmen are in charge of the states. They
know the local government chairmen, they know the ward chairmen and they
know everything. So if at that level they can come together and say this is
where we belong to, in order to douse tension, they should be listened to.
“If they try to support any side, you will see that APC will be worse than the
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that experienced such a thing last time
after the election. “The issue of the removal of the National Chairman at this
time is an ill wind that would blow no one any good and it also depends on
how it is done. So, having looked at the atmosphere within the party, ours is
just a kind of stabilisation. “Let us remove our minds from the present
tension, as you know the National Assembly has not been inaugurated. We
should focus on the inauguration of the National Assembly and after we
should come back.
“Nobody is saying no because we know that there were a lot of mistakes
made during the primaries and in other areas of administration of the party
but you don’t solve problems by creating more problems. “We have to take
these issues one after the other. You have to look at the overall interest of
the party at the material time. So, we didn’t want to join issues with those
calling for his resignation but to say for now we have confidence in him. We
say we are not going to back any side, let the status quo remain for now. It
is the name you give to your dog that it answers but at the same time we
made it very clear that there are areas that need change.”
In the opinion of a senator, who also spoke on the crisis and vote of
confidence passed in the National Chairman, he said the chairmen are not
the conscience of the party, arguing that the case would be looked into after
the inauguration of 9th Assembly. “All the issues raised by the APC Deputy
National Chairman (North) and the former National Chairman, Chief John
Odigie-Oyegun against Oshiomhole would be looked into one after the other.
We would also bring in the President into this. “Allegations against the
National Chairman are weighty, especially what happened during the
primaries. Those of us that contested for the party’s ticket would be able to
say what happened and not the state party chairmen.” But the APC Deputy
National Publicity Secretary, Yekini Nabena, called on Buhari and the
National Leader of APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, to intervene, saying that the
leaders of the party needed to intervene to save the party.
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