28 State Chairmen of APC, NWC Pass Vote of Confidence on Oshiomhole

• He should resign, Shittu insists

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

Reprieve came the way of the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Adams Oshiomole, as 28 state chairmen of the party and the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) have passed a vote of confidence on him after series of meetings.

But the immediate past Minister of Communication, Adebayo Shittu, Thursday insisted that if it were in a civilised clime, Oshiomhole should have resigned because he has failed the party.

The Enugu State Chairman of the ruling party who also doubles as the Secretary of the chairmen, Dr. Ben Nwoye, while briefing journalists in Abuja at the end of a meeting held yesterday in Abuja, dismissed as baseless all the allegations levied against the chairman, describing them as false.

“Any news making around that sometimes somewhere our National Chairman is facing troubled time. We need to bring that to a rest. He is our chairman. He is a strong leader. He has all it takes to lead this party to the Next Level We met with national chairman of our great party in company of members of NWC.

“We talked on relevant issues to the party. We discussed in details on party unity. At the end of the meeting, we were informed fully on party issues and unity of the party. Based on the information we have and the readiness of national chairman to lead this country to the Next Level, we have all unanimously passed a vote of confidence on the person of the national chairman and the NWC.

“In attendance were 21 States and seven sent excuses and apologies,” Nwoye added.

According to a statement issued yesterday by the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, the resolution reached by the NWC after extensive deliberation, was “to pass a vote of confidence on the National Chairman, Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole.”

The NWC also resolved to set up a five-man disciplinary committee headed by a former governor of Ekiti State, Niyi Adebayo to investigate the allegation levelled by Senator Lawal Shuaibu against the national chairman on issues involving the collective decisions of the NWC.

The disciplinary committee will also investigate “the instigation of Senators/members of the House of Representatives by Senator Lawal Shuaibu against the decision of the party on the choice of the presiding officers for both chambers (Senate and the House of Representatives) at the banquet Hall, Presidential Villa, even when these issues were all discussed and agreed by all members of the National Working Committee (NWC)”.

NWC described Shuaibu’s action as embarrassing to the ruling party.

According to APC’s spokesman, the committee is mandated to submit its report to the NWC within seven days.

Meanwhile, the immediate past Minister of Communication, Adebayo Shittu, has said that if it were in a civilised clime, Oshiomhole should have resigned because he has failed and does not have the capacity to run a civilised political party.

Shittu stated this at a press conference held yesterday in Abuja, where he described Oshiomhole as a dictator, who wants to dominate his environment.

He noted that having failed, he should honourably resign to prevent the party from humiliation in the 2023 general election when there would be no Buhari factor to drive the party.

“I am aware that God hates injustice and fights for the weak. To contest any position in Nigeria, there is nowhere it is stipulates in the constitution that you must have an NYSC discharge certificate.

“And to tell you the mischief our party’s national chairman and his cohort did. Dapo Abiodun, now governor of Ogun State never served; the immediate past Oyo State Governor, Ajimobi, did not also serve and I can mention a whole lot of others.”

“It is the same Oshiomhole who denied me the opportunity to contest the party primaries that cleared these other people to contest – Ajimobi for senate and Abiodun for governorship. These double standards will never be certainly allowed by God,” Shittu added.

Asked why he joined the league of those calling for Oshiomhole’s resignation, the ex-minister stressed, “I am hard on him because he has come to destroy our party. How do you justify a national chairman who took over at the time the party controlled 26 states but we have lost about five to six states to the opposition.

“If it were in a civilised clime, Oshiomhole should have resigned now because he is a failure and does not have the capacity to run a civilised political party.

“He is one person who is a dictator, he is one person who wants to dominate his environment, he is one person who does not want to take advice and he is one person who does not seek advice,” he explained.