Kogi/Bayelsa: Oshiomhole Retains Seat, Buhari Backs Him

By Oluwatosin Samuel

The battle for the soul of the All Progressives Congress, APC is still raging like wild fire.

But unlike it was previously expected, the National Chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole may no longer be consumed, at least for now.

Recall that the Director General of the APC Governors’ Forum, Salihu Lukman, had called for the resignation of the National Chairman of the party over accusation that he’s running a one man show.

That, however, is not the first time that a senior member of the party would demand his sack from office.

Before he was sacked last year, a former Deputy Chairman of the party (North) also demanded the removal of Oshiomhole over the same issue.

But despite the disquiet in the ruling party over the position of the National chairman, the magazine learned that oshiomhole will still continue to keep his job after some top members of the party decided to rally around their chairman.

The decision to give Oshiomhole a breeder, the magazine was told by competent persons in the party, is not unconnected with the manner he has led the ruling party to victory in two state governorship election held last week.

The APC won the governorship elections in Kogi and Bayelsa states, thus increasing the number of states controlled by the party.

Top politicians in the party who are now rooting for the continuation of Oshiomhole in office told the magazine, that they are happy with his performance, based on how the elections in both states have turned out.

“We are supporting the national chairman because he has performed. For instance, the party under him was able to delivered Kogi state despite the problem the party had in the state, due to the unpopularity of Governor Yahaya Bello.

We are particularly happy with him because the APC has now successfully ended the 20 year reign of PDP in Bayelsa state.” An APC stalwart in Katsina told the magazine on Monday.

He said President Buhari is particularly happy with Oshiomhole “for delivering an oil producing state” and has therefore called on the governors and other angry members of the party to rally round him

The APC chieftain also informed the magazine that Oshiomhole will receive a vote of confidence from members of the National Working Commission, NEC of the party, expected to take place very soon.

The Director General of APC Governor’s Forum had early this month demanded the resignation of Oshiomhole over accusation that he failed to hold the NEC meeting.

Many top notch of the party are angry that their chairman because of his refusal to call the NEC meeting.

The NEC is a powerful organ of the party made up of APC governors and other senior members of the party including President Muhammadu Buhari.

But the magazine was told by very competent sources in the party in Abuja that the NEC will be held soon, as powerful forces in the party have agreed to hold the meeting “on a yet to be confirmed date.”

The sources said the party is only awaiting the “go ahead from President Buhari” who only returned to the country after 20 days private visit abroad.

“Once the president gives the approval, we will go ahead with the NEC meeting. The avenue will provide members of the party to brainstorm on how to move the APC forward and to celebrate the victory in Bayelsa and Kogi,” a senior member of the party from Abuja told the magazine.

Meanwhile, the magazine was informed by other sources in the party that not all APC governors are happy with their chairman, contrary suggestions in some quarters.

In a statement released recently by the governors under the APC banner, they insisted that they did not call for the resignation of their chairman.

The governors under the auspices of APC Governors’ Forum said they are happy with Oshiomhole and did not support the call by the Director General for Oshiomhole to resign his position.

But a close aide of one of the APC governors from the North told the magazine that some of them are not happy with the way the crisis in Edo State chapter of the party has been managed so far.

Oshiomhole and the Governor of his state, Godwin Obaseki has been fighting each other over the control of the soul of the party in the state.

Both Obaseki and Oshiomhole have been expelled by contending factions in Edo state APC.

“This is one of the issues that are expected to be resolved at the next NEC meeting,” the aide said, adding that the governors will try to rally round one of their own at the meeting expected to hold in Abuja any moment from now.