APC crisis: VON DG, Okechukwu, calls for caution

FOLLOWING the crisis that trailed last Sunday’s governorship primaries of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in many states, Osita Okechukwu, the Director General of Voice of Nigeria (VON), has called for caution, appealing to Comrade Chair, Adams Oshiomhole to place President Muhammadu Buhari and by extension the party first in his decision making.

According to him, “Buhari is the king in APC Chessboard and Osita Okechukwu and Juliet Ibekaku are pawns.”

The gubernatorial primaries of APC suffered setbacks in States like Enugu, Rivers, Delta and even Akwa Ibom, where one person reportedly lost his life.

Speaking with newsmen in Enugu on Monday, Okechukwu, an ardent supporter of President Buhari cautioned that if Oshimole takes decisions without considering the peculiarities in each State, we will lose the momentum we are gathering in South East.

The VON DG said Oshimole must put the interest of President Buhari first, or else the momentum they were gathering for him in the South East would be dampened.

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Okechukwu reiterated his position that South East would be a shoreline for President Buhari to cover what may be lost in North Central and South-West, now that nobody knows who would be the presidential candidate of opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The APC chieftain and leading aspirant for Enugu West senatorial seat, said the National Chairman was not taking the President into account and acts without due consultation with the National Working Committee.

He particularly frowned at the cancellation of the gubernatorial primaries of APC in Enugu State when the exercise had gone midway.

He noted that the National Working Committee (NWC) published the mode for conducting primaries in various States and approved indirect primaries for Enugu State.

According to him, APC has a constitution and the same Congress that produced the party executives in Enugu State from the ward, local government and produced Oshimole and other national officers of the party.

“So, if Oshimole finds that the election of the executive in Enugu State is faulty, then his own election is also faulty. If Oshimole sets up a panel headed by Professor Moses Momoh to conduct the governorship primaries in Enugu State and the man took pains to do accreditation and get people to start voting, only for him to call and direct that the exercise should be cancelled, I wonder what would happen to the massive support that the President has garnered here including people like former Governors, Jim Nwobodo and Sullivan Chime, Emperor Baywood Ibe and numerous others.

“When Oshimole called, he asked if Osita Okechukwu was there. I said I was there. He asked if Juliet Ibekaku was there. I said she is not a governorship aspirant. She is not even a delegate. We must put Mr President first before other pawns in the chessboard. With our massive support for Mr. President, Comrade should consider other variables, Okechukwu said.

Okechukwu insisted that the faction of the party supporter by Mrs Ibekaku and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geofrey Onyeama, lost out during the party congresses and instead of aligning with the mainstream, were busy trying to destroy the President’s massive support in Enugu State.

He noted that people like Jim Nwobodo, Sullivan Chime and Empoeror Baywood Ibe were not vying for any position or looking for any favour from the party, and yet they give all their time and resources towards uplifting APC and Mr President in Enugu State.

“Buhari has the most critical infrastructure on the ground. Nobody can stop him. Oshimole is a brilliant man. He is very devoted, but we have only one king, Mr President. The National Chairman should not put a young girl in the equation. Mr President should come first,” Okechukwu concluded.