THE embattled national chairman of the All Progressive Congress, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole can heave a sigh of relief in his running battle with the governors on his party platform.
An umbrella body of the 36 state chairmen of the party, the Forum of APC State Chairmen on Thursday kicked against the demand for Comrade Oshiomhole’s resignation.
Director General of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, Salihu Lukman on Wednesday accused the APC chairman of usurping the functions of the National Executive Committee and the National caucus and demanded the latter resignation.
Lukman told newsmen yesterday in Abuja that the governors have individually expressed their frustration with Comrade Oshiomhole leadership style with him in private discussions.
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But the Forum of APC state chairmen in a statement signed by Ali Bukar Dalori and Ben Nwoye, chairman and secretary, respectively dismissed the Director General of the PGF as a paid agent whom they alleged was working with certain elements within the party and the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party to destroy the APC.
On the infraction on the APC Constitution by the Comrade Oshiomhole led national working committee by not convening a quarterly meeting of the NEC and national caucus, the state chairmen claimed meetings of statutory organs of the party could be convened at the discretion of the APC national chairman.
The statement read in part :
“Salihu Lukman is talking about NEC meeting, I wonder why he is crying more than the bereaved. Some of us have interacted with our progressives governors and we were informed that Salihu Lukman is on his own and actually expressed their disappointment over his continuous unpalatable comments against the National Chairman of our party.
“This man has never held any elective position and we wonder why he is interested in NEC meeting which has no business with him. We the chairmen want to use this opportunity to appeal to our governors to sack this man who is obviously being used to cause disaffection within the APC.”
The Forum of state chairmen further described Comrade Oshiomhole as representative of the leader of the party, President Muhammadu Buhari who should not be desecrated.
“It is obvious that he is an enemy within because if he is actually a party man who is worth being the DG of the Progressives Governors Forum, he would not be seen attempting to rubbish the name of our National Chairman. He is the one representing the leader of our party who is the President and he does not deserve insults from people like Salihu Lukman.
“Besides, it is sad that Salihu Lukman has failed to see that since the coming of Oshiomhole, there is now party discipline and supremacy of the party and we are glad today that we have been able to achieve party discipline under Oshiomhole because the APC was derailing before the coming of this NWC. Today, so much progress has been made under this NWC and that is why we are solidly behind Oshiomhole. He has revived the party and has turned it to a winning machine.
“It is obvious that few persons who are not happy are those who felt they are bigger than the party and goodness, we have a chairman that will call a spade a spade no matter whose ox is gored. As we speak today, APC is more united than ever under Oshiomhole and that is why we have witnessed progression in the policies of the party and government in power.”
“We want to tell the world that this man called Salihu Lukman is an enemy of the APC and he is being sponsored by some anti-democrats who are bent on creating crisis in the party for their selfish interest. But we want to reiterate our support to the National Chairman and once again pass a Vote of Confidence in the National Chairman of our great party, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.
“We use this opportunity to warn troubleshooters and those sponsoring people like Salihu Lukman to cause disaffection in the party, to desist from it because as chairmen of APC in the states, we can authoritatively say that it is the first time that states are given financial support during our elections. It happened in this past 2019 general elections. All the states were supported financially by the NWC to ensure the success of our party during the general elections.”