By Bayo Bernard
On Tuesday March 17, history will be made in the All Progressives Congress, APC, as contending forces in the battle to oust embattled chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole meet in the Abuja, the nation’s capital to determine his future.
Tinubu Rallies Support For Embattled Chairman
But ahead of the meeting, a group led by a former Lagos state governor, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu has risen up in his defence.
Tinubu is the national Leader of APC, his intervention, some have suggested, is capable of counter-balancing the plot of Oshiomhole’s opponents to remove him.
While speaking on the planned ouster of the APC boss, Tinubu had warned that such action could destabilize the party and the government of President Muhammadu Buhari.
He said Oshiomhole’s removal will destroy the chances of APC retaining power in 2023.
Tinubu said’ Those afflicted with the 2023 virus do a grave disservice to President Buhari and his administration.
They should be trying their best to help the President. Instead of seeing President Buhari as our present leader and commander-in-chief, their sole contemplation is upon his eventual exit.
Yet, not even a full year has passed since his second inauguration. How can they be committed to helping him realise his mandate when the fullness of their gaze is affixed to seizing this very mandate for themselves?”
Tinubu stated that the embattled chairman must not be removed based on frivolous allegations.
“The chairman is human; thus, he has his merits as well as his flaws. Yet his humanity cannot be grounds for his dismissal. If so, the position will forever go vacant,” he said.
The APC National Leader is working with “like minds leaders from the south-south in ensuring that Oshiomhle stays,” an APC chieftain from Lagos told the magazine on Sunday.
APC Chairmen Support Oshiomhole
Last week, Lagos state APC under its chairman, Tunde Balogun passed a vote of confidence of Oshiomhole.
Many APC chairmen from across the country, also last week threw their weight behind the former governor.
While things are falling apart in the camp of his opponents, same cannot be said of his supporters, who appear to be consolidating on their position and consulting widely, among who’s who in the APC, to frustrate the Tuesday meeting from holding, or better still, make sure that in the event that the meeting held, Oshiomhole will be saved, analysts say.
Fayemi, Bagudu Lead Anti-Oshiomhole Group
The pro-Oshiomhole group, the magazine learnt, is working on two possibilities: one, to prevail on President Buhari not to attend, in which case, the meeting will not go ahead.
Anti- Oshiomhole group led by Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti state and Abubakar Bagudu of Kebbi state met with President Buhari last week to press for his removal.
Ganduje, Abiodun Reach Out To Buhari
“On our part, we also designated Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano); Babagana Zulum (Borno); Adegboyega Oyetola (Osun), Babajide-Sanwo-Olu (Lagos) and Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), to meet the President last week to ensure the return of Oshiomhole as the APC chairman,” an APC chieftain in Lagos said.
Even though the meeting did not hold, he told the magazine that “we have been reaching the president through the back channel to make sure he stayed away from the NEC meeting.”
Buhari Could Stay Away From NEC Meeting
“Once there are no signals from Aso Villa that the president will attend the NEC, that’s enough to frustrate it. The president is the leader of the party, NEC meeting will not hold without him,” an APC chieftain from Oyo state told the magazine.
According to him, the second option, being worked on is that, if the NEC “eventually held, we are mobilizing our other partners from across the country, particularly, from the south -south, to make sure that he receives a vote of confidence, which will allow him to continue as chairman until the court makes a final pronouncement on the matter.”
The groundswell of support may turn out for Oshiomhole, the only respite needed by the Edo state born politician to retain his position as the chairman of the ruling party in the midst of serious forces confronting his leadership.
Recall that the APC vice chairman(North), the Acting National Secretary, Victor Giadom, had last week called for the National Executive Council, NEC meeting tomorrow where the future of Oshiomhole will be determined.
Ahead of the meeting slated for tomorrow, anti Oshiomhole APC leaders from the south-south had met last Thursday, to finalize strategy on how to oust him.
The meeting, however, did not go well as planned as many leaders from the region stayed away.
Amaechi, Akpabio, Omo-Agege Divided
Convened by Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo state, it only had in attendance, the Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, and other APC chieftains from the region.
Obaseki is in a running battle with Oshiomhole for control of the soul of the state.
Those who stayed away include Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo Agege, Minister of Niger Delta Affairs and former Governor of Akwa Ibom state, Godswill Akpabio and others.
Their absence, analysts insist dealt a severe blow on the plan to disgrace the former NCL President as APC chairman.
“The meeting was supposed to be a precursor to the Tuesday NEC meeting. It had been expected that, all APC politicians from the south-south will gather, where the fate of Oshiomhole will be sealed.
But, as is turned out, only few, led by Amaechi turned up for the meeting. The absence of the Deputy Senate President, Akpabio had greatly limited the success of that meeting,” Jude Asiko, a political analyst in Lagos said.
He explained that the failure of those wanting to oust Oshiomhole to unite has strengthened the camp of the embattled APC chairman.
“Even though they seemed to be united on the replacement of the APC chairman, they have nevertheless, allowed ego on their various parts, on who should lead the party from the region, to divide them.
Ameachi, Omo Agege, Akpabio are fighting themselves over who should be the leader. The infighting of these APC gladiators has exposed their ranks to infiltration by oshiomhole supporters who appear gaining ground ahead of Tuesday, the D-Day, “Alex Johnson said.
His suggestion seems to be very instructgive.
48 hours to the NEC meeting, some APC stalwarts, yesterday drummed support for the former Edo governor to retain his position.
At a meeting called on Sunday by the Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Prince Clem Agba, and attended by other south south APC leaders, majorly from Edo State, the stakeholders passed a vote of confidence on the suspended ruling party chair.
The APC leaders, after the meeting that lasted for several hours, warned Oshiomhole’s opponents not to destroy the party.
The interactive session convened by a chieftain of the party, Blessing Agbomhere, tagged: “Our Leader, Adams Oshiomhole’s interactive session with concerned party leaders, members, support groups and the real issue and solution,” was attended by Minister of State, Budget and National Planning, former Minister of Works, Chris Ogiemwonyi; Deputy Leader of the House of Representatives, Peter Akpatason; member of the House of Representatives, Julius Ihonvbere, a former presidential adviser.
Others are; Abubakar Momoh, Tony Kabaka, Ibrahim Dauda, Secretary, Buhari Campaign Council, Edo factional APC Chairman, Col. David Imuse (retd); Zonal Women Leader, North Central, Hajia Hassana Abdullahi.
