APC Crisis: 10 reasons Oshiomhole must go – Osita Okechukwu

The Director General of the Voice of Nigeria, Osita Okechukwu, has given reasons why he believes Adams Oshiomhole should not be allowed to continue as the national chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Contrary to the stance of the APC national leader, Bola Tinubu, the VON DG, maintained that the call for the removal of the embattled national chairman by a faction within the party had little to do with the 2023 president ticket but mostly with the embattled chairman’s actions.

He highlighted the defeat suffered by the party in some states during and after the last general elections, and the alleged disregard for the party’s constitution as some of the excesses associated with Mr Oshiomhole’s leadership.

Mr Oshiomhole on Monday got a reprieve when an appeal court ordered that he remain as party chairman despite a previous order suspending him.

The party chairman has denied any wrongdoing and said his opponents were angry and the principled way he has run the affairs of the party.

It would also be recalled that the VON DG was among the party leaders that Mr Oshiomhole-led NWC suspended for anti-party activities in March 2019.

Mr Okechukwu was accused of working against the APC in his Enugu State after losing the party’s senatorial primary.

In his statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES after the Court of Appeal ruling on Monday, Mr Okechukwu noted ten reasons which he referred as “10 Osho-Virus blunders” which all party leaders must take into cognisance to “save the Soul of APC from further unknown consequences of Osho-Virus damage and destruction.”

Below are the reasons

1. Revival and Resurrection of collapsing Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) structure, a political party in 2018 was ravaged by internecine intra-party feud; to win more states like Adamawa, Bauchi, Zamfara, and Sokoto, all strongholds of APC.

2. Brazen Incompetence: Second revival of PDP is evidenced in the Bayelsa State imbroglio. It is our considered belief that no sane national chairman of a prominent political party would submit the name of an incumbent Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to be Deputy Governor, without evaluating the strategic cost to the party. Most importantly lack of diligent scrutiny of essential documents of candidate, or One Man-Show, points to Osho-Virus crass negligence and incompetence.

3. Flagrant breach of APC’s Constitution via elevation of crass DICTATORSHIP and deceptively masquerading Sole Proprietorship of APC in the guise of Almighty Party Supremacy. We sincerely doubt whether Comrade Oshiomhole has taken time to peruse APC’s Constitution, for if he has done, he could have been less narcissistic, less despotic and more collegiate in managing the party. For it is only Super Kings or despots that can impose national officers of the party in clear breach of APC’s Constitution.

4. Manipulating, Corrupting and Mangling the 2018 APC gubernatorial and legislative primary elections. Is it 2023 that made Comrade Oshiomhole to mismanage our primary? Is it 2023 that made Comrade Oshiomhole to nearly shunt Asiwaju who made him governor and chairman, by covertly printing ballot papers to favour Ambode for Lagos gubernatorial primary?

5. Employing Double Standards- It is on record that Comrade Oshiomhole in his infinite self-survival-instinct ratified the Lagos gubernatorial primary election and which was not conducted by the APC Gubernatorial Primary Panel set up by him, but by Asiwaju’s men and did not ratify that conducted by Senator Amosu’s men at Ogun State? Is this kind of atrocity 2023 Virus or Osho-Virus?

Secondly Comrade ordered State Chapters to choose between Direct and Indirect method of primary election only to change the choice made by States depending on his whims and caprices. For instance he changed that of Enugu State from indirect to direct in the midst of gubernatorial election.

Thirdly, is 2023 or Osho-Virus responsible for favours Comrade dispenses at will, “That Elrufia (El- Rufai) was the one who came to me crying to help him get rid of Shehu Sani and to replace him with his boy, Uba Sani and I sacrificed my comradeship with Shehu to please him.” – Comrade Oshiomhole speaking.

6. In his classical double standard paradigm he glossed over the suspension of his Ward; whereas he ratified that of Ward suspension of Barister Inua Abdulkadir, vice chairman North West. Is that 2023 or Osho-Virus?

READ ALSO: Edo APC gives conditions for reconciliation with Oshiomhole

7. Covert use of the 2018 primary elections to empower his Edo Peoples Movement (EPM) native political structure. Not only did EPM members populate all state panels more than any other state, but they also headed about 10, as well as the most revered Appeal Panel. This way he not only violated the Federal Character Principle, but also denied most states the golden opportunity of heading at least one panel. Is this gross nepotism 2023-Virus?

8. Insincerity: Comrade Oshiomhole celebrated the abolition of Godfatherism in Edo State only to paradoxically deploy his handgun, the Edo Peoples Movement in a vain glorious plot to become Godfather. Is this 2023 or Osho-Virus?

9. Erosion of Buhari’s 12 Million Vote-Bank – Comrade Oshiomhole often displayed wanton narcissism and rascality in his dealings with state governors, members of NWC and party stakeholders by dishing out impulsive orders he could not condone when in office as governor; will if not stopped erode APC the famous Buhari’s 12 Million Vote-Bank, especially when Mr President will not be in the ballot in 2023.

10. Squandermania: Haphazard expenditure of party funds, such that more than N14 billion realised from Presidential, Gubernatorial and Legislative Primary Fees remain unaccounted for. Render Account now Comrade Oshiomhole?