APC crisis: Police avert clash between anti, pro-Oshiomhole supporters

Policemen detailed to the national secretariat of the All Progressives Congress yesterday prevented what could have been a fatal clash between those protesting for the removal of the embattled national chairman of the party, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and another set of protesters who stormed the Secretariat to sing his praise.

The policemen sought for reinforcements from the Divisional Police Headquarters in the area when the pro-Oshiomhole camp insisted that the other group would not be allowed to display their placards.

A member of the anti-Oshiomhole group under the aegis of APC Members Coalition Movement, Umar Mohammed Musa, told newsmen that the ruling party has suffered several setbacks under the leadership of the former president of the organised Labour.

He cited the loss of its mandates in Zamfara and Bayelsa States and the ongoing cold war between the APC chairman and the Edo State governor, Godwin Obaseki.

He said: “We are here to express our feelings, to show or tell the whole world that we are not happy with what is happening in our party. The leadership of this party is getting out of hand and that is why we are here to tell our leaders that Oshiomhole must go, Oshiomhole must leave.

“When you look at the situation of our party and what has happened at the last primaries in 2019 you will agree with me that we have no leader.

“Since Oshiomhole came on board there is no progress in the party, there is no development, no achievement or tangible thing to show you that there is a good example of leadership in the party. So, that is why we say Oshiomhole must go.

“Even in FCT, his leadership led to the loss of lives. It was also in Zamfara, Bayelsa, etc. Look at what happened recently in Bayelsa State, so we are asking what is going on. We have noticed that Adams Oshiomhole is an agent who has come to destabilise our party. He is an agent that wants to see how this party would collapse and would not win the election in 2023.”

He dismissed the claim that his leadership ensured victory for the party in the Presidential election.

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“This party won the Presidential election because of the helping hands of Nigerians and not because of the leadership of Oshiomhole. The party members and the citizens of this country love for the President. When you look at it very well many of our members who could have won the election for us lost the primaries because of the selfish interest of Oshiomhole.”

Also condemning Oshiomhole’s leadership, another speaker, Comrade Zata Nehemaih, said, “l want to tell you that since he came in there have been factions in all the states.

“I want to tell you that Oshiomhole has no interest of the party. He is here to destroy APC, he is like a PDP mole. If you look at the last election, APC lost Zamfara, Bauchi Imo, Adamawa, Taraba, Bayelsa and so many other states because of Oshiomhole. Instead of him to add more states, we have been losing states. If they allow Oshiomhole to continue till 2023, l want to assure you that APC will lose the Presidency.”

Idris Umar Faruk, Deputy Youth Leader APC FCT, however, said those behind the protests were not members of the party.

“I’m an APC member and not just a member but I am an officer of the party in FCT.

“I am here to react to the protest that I don’t know why these persons who are not known could be the people protesting in the FCT.

“If they feel they are not happy with what they have been seeing in the party in their states, they should do it in their states. If for us in the FCT, I think we are pleased with our party and the National Chairman of our party.

“If the party is not happy with the National Chairman of our party, some of us who are officers wouldn’t have come to the streets to react to that effect but these persons that came to the streets today to protest, I don’t think they are members of our party.”