Campaign against Oshiomhole persists

Romanus Ugwu, Abuja

The plot to remove the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, has persisted with the Director General of the APC Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), Salihu Mohammed Lukman, accusing him of being tyrannical and despotic in the disciplinary sanctions he meted out to chieftains of the party.

Reacting to Oshiomhole’s rant that his ward lacked the power to remove him since he was elected by 7000 party members at a national convention, Lukman queried his rationale in endorsing the suspension of the National Vice Chairman (North West), Inuwa Abdulkadir, who was also suspended by his ward.

He suggested that the National Executive Council (NEC) during its emergency meeting scheduled for March 17, should, apart from appointing an Acting National Chairman, review the questionable suspensions clamped on NWC members and governors.

Backing his argument with relevant sections of the party’s constitution, he insisted that the previous suspensions endorsed by the Oshiomhole-led NWC were not rule-based but on impulse.

“Article 13.4(i-xvii) provides for the powers of the NWC. Nowhere in those provisions was disciplinary responsibility given to the NWC. The reality is that all decisions about suspending Deputy National Chairman (North), Lawal Shuaibu and the three governors were taken by the NWC.

“In the case of Abdulkadir, it was taken by his ward and transmitted to the NWC. Upon receipt of that decision, the NWC was expected to invite the NEC to set up the fact-finding committee.

“It is very difficult not to conclude that by its actions, the Oshiomhole-led NWC arbitrarily handled issues of discipline such that even where there could be valid cases of activating disciplinary proceedings against Shuaibu and the three governors, it was compromised and that rendered the so-called suspension, acts of nullity.

“The case of Abdulkadir is different largely because it was the decision of the ward executive, which the NWC instead of transmitting to the NEC decided to appropriate the powers of NEC. This may require that NEC recall the decision of the ward and proceed to appoint the fact-finding committee as provided in Article 21(B)(ii) of the APC constitution.

Insisting that Oshiomhole stands suspended, the PGF DG, said: “This brings us to the suspension of Oshiomhole by his ward. In every respect, Oshiomhole’s case is similar to that of Abdulkadir. Since November 2, 2019, the ward executive of Ward 10, Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State announced the suspension of Oshiomhole, interestingly, for alleged anti-party activities similar to the charges against Abdulkadir.

“The decision was transmitted to the NWC and instead of applying the provision of Article 21(B)(ii) of the APC constitution to set up a fact-finding committee, or even endorsed the suspension given the precedence they have set in the case of Abdulkadir, the NWC rejected the decision of the ward executive to suspend Oshiomhole. What makes the case of Oshiomhole different?”