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Outgoing president Muhammadu Buhari, President-Elect Bola Tinubu, and other leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have been urged to endorse former National Chairman of the party, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, as the leader of the 10th Senate, with the claim that his emergence would serve as a fair reward for competence, capacity, experience and his long contributions to the party and national growth.
John Mayaki, an APC xhieftain from Edo, made the call in a statement chronicling the credentials of the former Edo governor and some key interventions he made as President of the Nigeria Labour Congress and National Chairman of the APC.
“It would not be an exaggeration to say that without Adams Oshiomhole as the Chairman of the APC at the time he was, the party would have long ceased to exist. His strength of character, courage and resilience was what helped the party survive a make-or-break period when certain forces within the party sought to divide and weaken it in cahoots with the opposition.
“Oshiomhole stood firm in the face of great pressure and blackmail to reform the party’s internal processes and bring it closer to the progressive ideals of internal democracy, equity, and fairness. Members of the party were offered equal footing and that increased the appeal of the APC to politicians and ordinary Nigerians across the country.
“It may be easy to forget now but at the time Oshiomhole came in as the leader of the party, President Buhari’s re-election faced serious doubts as the party was dogged by gross and widespread indiscipline, lack of organization, and threats of a split that would have aided the opposition’s victory.
“All thanks to his mature leadership, order was instilled and the party won the 2019 general elections with greater margins than it did four years prior. Additionally, he was able to supervise an orderly and esteemed legislative leadership election process in line with the decided wishes of the party, unlike what obtained in President Buhari’s first term when Bukola Saraki led a rebellion that stole the NASS and proved a stumbling block to the presidency throughout the four years the term lasted.
“In the same vein, the transparent primaries that gave birth to the Bola Tinubu-presidency was also a fruit from the tree Oshiomhole planted, particularly his introduction of the ‘one man, one vote’ electoral integrity that made him popular in Edo State to the party’s internal processes such that the will of members is reflected by the final outcome.
“Clearly, Oshiomhole helped the party navigate past troubled waters, won a second term for President Buhari and got rid of a hostile force that hijacked the National Assembly, while also paving the way for the popular emergence of Tinubu.
“He is a patriot who, at every turn, has done the best for his country and party. He can be trusted to support the implementation of the Renewed Hope agenda of the incoming President while also providing the requisite checks and balances to ensure that ministries, agencies, and departments of the country are playing their part in ensuring that the president meets his promise to the Nigerian people.
“There is no better way to reward Oshiomhole for all his contributions and sacrifices at this time than to endorse him as the Senate President of the 10th Assembly. He is a practicing Christian from the South-South and his emergence would help actualise the formation of a balanced government. I urge all the relevant stakeholders, including his colleagues in the Senate, to consider these and queue behind him as the next leader of the important institution,” he said.
