Oshiomhole’s troubles worsen as APC Governors forum DG calls for his resignation

The crisis rocking the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) worsened
yesterday as the Director-General of the party’s Governors’ forum
called for the resignation of Adams Oshiomhole as the National
Chairman.
Also on Wednesday in Benin City, some leaders of the APC in Edo State
at a meeting attended by Governor Godwin Obaseki ratified the
suspension of Oshiomhole from the party in the state.
In a statement signed by its Director-General, Salihu Lukman, in Abuja
on Wednesday, the Governors forum asked Oshiomhole to urgently convene
a National Executive Council meeting of the party or leave office.
“It is either Oshiomhole respect the provision of the party
constitution and convene superior organ meeting to deliberate on all
our challenges, or he should just accept his inability to manage the
party and simply resign,” Lukman said.
The call comes a day after the APC in Edo announced the controversial
suspension of Oshiomhole.
In its statement issued by Mr Lukman, the APC Governors Forum accused
the National Working Committee under Mr Oshiomhole of suppressing the
National Executive Council (NEC), a major decision-making organ of the
party.
“Somehow, unfortunately, the National Executive Council (NEC) of the
party, which is the organ vested with the statutory responsibility of
responding to all these challenges appear to be suspended.
“The last time it met was August 2018. In its place, the National
Working Committee (NWC), which is an administrative organ with the
responsibility of implementing decisions of NEC and other higher
organs seems to have usurped the powers of NEC.
“Sadly, even the NWC, as at today, is a shadow of itself, as it has
lost many members either on accounts of appointment into government or
controversial suspension.
“For instance, Otunba Niyi Adebayo, Deputy National Chairman (South)
is today a Minister of the Federal Republic.
“Sen. Lawal Shuaibu, Deputy National Chairman (North) is allegedly
suspended. Alhaji Inuwa Abdulkadir, National Vice Chairman (North
West) is similarly suspended,” he said.
Lukman recalled that in June 2019, the NWC suspended Governor Rotimi
Akeredolu of Ondo.
He added that during the 2019 general elections, on account of the
roles of former governors Rochas Okorocha and Ibikunle Amosun against
the candidates of the party, they were similarly suspended.
Lukman said whether all these actions “are permissible by provisions
of the APC’s constitution is highly contestable.
“Why should all these be allowed to happen? Why is it impossible to
convene a NEC or even National Caucus meetings, which are supposed to
hold every quarter to resolve all these issues?
“Why should the NWC in Oshiomhole’s leadership continue to imagine
that it can conduct the affairs of the party without mandatory
meetings of party organs?
“What legacy is Oshiomhole hoping to achieve as a national chairman by
running the party in a way that suggests almost zero commitment to
issues of party development?
“Our national leaders must rise to the challenge facing us as a party
and take all necessary measures to convene superior organ meetings to
begin to resolve all our challenges as a party,” he said.
In Benin, the Edo State capital, local leaders of the APC ratified the
suspension of Oshiomhole, from the party in the state.
This was conveyed in a press release issued through Government House, Benin.
The statement said the decision was reached at an enlarged meeting of
the APC state executive council and other party chieftains with the
state governor, Obaseki, in Benin City, on Wednesday.
According to the statement, the party leaders said Oshiomhole’s
suspension became necessary because he “has been deploying divisive
tactics to cause disharmony in the party in collaboration with the
proscribed group, Edo Peoples Movement (EPM).