APC CRISIS: 10 governors throw weight behind Oshiomhole

…Anti-Oshiomhole govs restrategize ahead Lawan’s c’ttee’s inauguration

…How two governors saved Oshiomhole

Obaseki, Oshiomhole

THE plots of some governors to get the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole out of the equation are hitting counter-plots.

Ahead of the 2023 general polls, some governors and stakeholders had expressed fears that the APC might fail given the way Oshiomhole, in their estimation, was running the party especially as President Muhammadu will not be on the ballot.

Why some governors want Oshiomhole out

Those opposed to Oshiomhole cited APC’s fate in Rivers and Zamfara states where avoidable squabbles made the party not to have valid governorship and other candidates in the 2019 polls, a development that gave the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP candidates victories on a platter.

They are saying for effective reconciliation, the comrade-chairman be eased out for allegedly ‘’orchestrating some of the crises in the party, especially in Zamfara, Edo, Rivers, Ogun, Imo and many other states”, said an aide of one of the governors from the North-Central, who is fiercely loyal to Oshiomhole.

They also cited the party’s loss of Bauchi, Adamawa at the polls inability to hold National Executive Council, NEC, meeting and inability to maintain peace in his native Edo State among others to remove Oshiomhole.

However, Oshiomhole has the support of some big wigs, who in a counter argument cited the party’s victories in Osun, Ekiti, Bayelsa, retention of Kogi and of course the prime slot-the presidency, as reasons to retain him to continue the good job.

The rank of those in this school of thought, sources told Vanguard, has swollen with more governors buying into the argument.

Pro-Oshiomhole govs

At the last count, governors said to be in support of the APC chairman include Babjide Sanwo Olu (Lagos), Umaru Zulum (Borno), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Yahaya Bello (Kogi), Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano), Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya (Gombe), Aminu Bello Masari (Katsina), Abdul Rahman Adbul Razaq (Kwara), Adegboyega Oyetola (Osun), and Simon Lalong (Plateau).

Neutral govs

Three governors – Abubakar Sani Bello (Niger), Abdulahi Sule Nasarawa, and Mai Mala Buni (Yobe) are said to be neutral.

Anti-Oshiomhole govs

Those considered opposed to Oshiomhole are Godwin Obaseki (Edo), Mallam el-Rufai (Kaduna), Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo), Badaru Abubakar (Jigawa), and Abubakar Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi).

Two of the 10 governors, one from the South-West and another from the North+East practically stopped their colleagues from asking Oshiomhole to resign recently, sources told Vanguard at the weekend.

That was after the Director General of the Progressive Governors Forum, Salihu Lukman took Oshiomhole to the cleaners, criticising him for running a one-man show. He challenged the party chairman to convene a National Executive Committee, NEC, meeting which has not been held for a long while to resolve all challenges in the party or resign.

Flowing from this, the governors before a recent meeting with President Buhari at Aso Villa wanted to ask Oshiomhole to resign. A meeting to firm up this position was held at one of the state governments’ lodges in Abuja.

The two pro-Oshiomhole governors were not invited but they got wind of it and stormed the meeting. When the PGF members present wanted to pass a resolution that they had agreed to ask Oshiomhole to resign, the two governors asked them to state where and when the decision was taken. They warned against actions that could further polarise the APC.

Based on this the question of raising a reconciliation committee was answered.

Fresh plot, strategy to oust Oshiomhole Ahead of the inauguration of the Senator Ahmad Lawan-led National Reconciliation Committee some of the pro and anti-Oshiomhole APC governors are restrategizing to realise their quests.

While a few of the governors were earlier reported to have failed in their bid to get the buy in of other colleagues as well as President Muhammadu Buhari during his meeting with them days ago, Vanguard gathered that there is now a fresh ploy to get Oshiomhole out of the way. 

“The plot is to present a common position to the Lawan committee,’’ a source told Vanguard, because the reconciliation committee would be moving from one state to the other.

A member of the NWC who recently had a spat with the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, advised him and others to cooperate with the reconciliation committee in the interest of peace.

However, supporters of Governor Obaseki said Oshiomhole was trying to play god in Edo, plotting to deny Obaseki second term.

In the battle of wits with Oshiomhole, they saidObaseki would prevail at the end of the day because ‘’other governors will not abandon their own to be rubbished by an individual who is no longer a governor. Obaseki will get a second term.’’

Source: Vanguard

VAM