Loyalists of the embattled national chairman of the ruling APC, Adams Oshiomhole have warned that the party will fall and fail ahead of the 2023 general elections if he is disgraced out of office. One of them, a former Edo State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Hon. Henry Idahagbon gave reasons why Oshiomhole is the right man to lead the party into the 2023 general elections.
Reacting to the clamour for his removal as the national chairman of the party, Idahagbon said those fighting Oshiomhole are doing so because they are not happy with the discipline he has brought into the party and his emphasis on party supremacy.
“For me, Oshiomhole revived the dwindling fortunes of the party. But for him, it would have been difficult for APC to win the last general elections. Before he came in, the party was like a laiser-fair, where governors were demi-gods and party members did what they liked without check. But Oshiomhole brought a lot of dynamism, a lot of verve into the party.
“He has brought a lot of discipline and emphasized party supremacy and those fighting him don’t like that. If the party must be relevant in the 2023 elections, Oshiomhole is the right man to lead the party into that election”.
Idahagbon predicted that history will repeat itself and APC will go the way of PDP if Oshiomhole is removed. So, I urge Mr. President to make a categorical statement in support of the party and Comrade Oshiomhole”, Idahagbon said.
Speaking in the same vein, former minority whip in the House of Representatives, Samson Osagie noted that “the ongoing battle to oust the National Chairman of APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole is nothing but an attempt to throw spanner in the wheels of the progress of the party.
Oshiomhole did not only bring dynamism into party administration, he stood firmly to ensure that party internal democracy is strengthened and this is what brought him in conflict with some governors who are now calling for his head. The successes and inroads the party made in hitherto PDP strongholds is a testimony to his capacity to break new grounds. As with all human endeavors, you cannot win always but despite some avoidable losses in some areas he wasn’t responsible for those losses.
“Oshiomhole remains a complimentary party leader to government who has infinite capacity to defend and promote government policies in defence of programmes and manifestoes of the party. He has been a party man through and through, committed to building a viable progressive political party and system for our country. These shenanigans are only reminiscent of the signs of descent into catastrophe, which parties that have held power fell into when some tendencies feel that there’s nothing that can happen regardless of their acts of impunity. Under the prevailing circumstances, the resort to unconstitutional tactics to muscle out a validly elected party Chairman who has performed very well is unacceptable.
“Oshiomhole brought life and verve into party administration, scoring many points for party successes. He needs to sustain the tempo and take the party forward even as the government implements its Next Level agenda. At this point it is incumbent on the President who is the party Leader and other leaders to rise up to the challenge of protecting the party against this assault and restore sanity in its administration by supporting a dogged political fighter who is the fear of the opposition otherwise it will appear that he is being used and dumped. At the end, reason and legality should prevail.”
THE SUN
