Factional APC: Oshiomhole appeals for understanding

Following the emergence of a splinter group, the Reformed All Progressives Congress (RAPC), national chairman of the ruling party, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has appealed to aggrieved members of the party not to seek a new platform.

An aggrieved group of members of defunct new Peoples Democratic Party, (nPDP) the All Nigerian Peoples Party, (ANPP) and the defunct Congress for Progressive Change, (CPC) yesterday formed a parallel leadership with Alhaji Buba Galadima as chairman of the (RAPC).

But speaking while receiving the report of the APC Convention Appeal Committee report led by former Senate President, Ken Nnamani, Comrade Oshiomhole said he was willing to make concession to inspire confidence building.

He said: “I appeal to all those who are aggrieved to be patient. The assurance is that under my leadership, we will make honest mistakes and once our attention is drawn, we will find courage to make up for our mistakes. Some people say how can people eat their words? For me, I will eat my words if it is nutritious enough and if that is what I have to do to have peace in the family. I am not going to be detained by arrogance because I don’t think at this level, any of us will take a position except based on our conviction.

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“I am very appreciative of the fact that we were elected and in the case of some of us, we were even unopposed that our members have entrusted us to pilot that affairs of the party at this time. Like I said in the Senate, we knew there were challenges when we offered ourselves to contest for offices for which we have now been elected.

“So, we can’t claim that we didn’t know. We are not going to lament that we knew, but we didn’t know it was this much. To us, it is a huge opportunity to make a difference, not only for our party, but for our country. So, I appeal to people to realise that a blind man can redeem his eyes if he applies the correct medication. But you can’t force it open over night! Otherwise, you will create more problem and damage the eye the more.

“But we will do everything possible to sustain confidence and trust. For us, everybody is important, for us everybody matters and we want to run an inclusive party. Like I said in my acceptance speech, in a true democracy, there are no losers.

”If you run that the party efficiently and democratically, those who lost will found that their interest and those services they wanted to render are being rendered efficiently and democratically. They will feel a sense of relief. As they say, if God gives you power, may He not deny you wisdom. I pray for wisdom and courage and I believe that we have it and we will deploy it for peace within the APC family.”

In his own reaction the party spokesperson, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, said the party was studying the situation and would make adequate response at the appropriate time.

In his remarks, Senator Nnamani said his committes discovered that there were glaring irregularities in the processes that led to the conduct of the national convention.

“We received 24 petitions some of them meritorious. We made useful suggestions to the new natuonal working committee to do whatever is necessary to give justice. But justice doesn’t mean winning, but having a level playing ground. In other words, you are given the opportunity to make your case.

“There were glaring examples of omission and commission, they weren’t deliberate. APC is determined to give all aspirants the opportunity of a level playing field and that’s why this subcommittee was set up. I see it as a democratic practise which APC stands for. “