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Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
The desperate attempt to save the embattled All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, this week took interesting dimensions as his loyalists flooded the party’s national secretariat, drumming support for his continuation.
The ruling party’s boss have been under severe pressure to resign after all manners of allegations were levelled against him including highhandedness.
Although he partially got a vote of confidence during the National Executive Committee for (NEC) meeting last week, factional members of the State party chairmen and NEC members, numbering over 50, had made fresh demand for his resignation.
Before and during the APC NEC meeting last week, a group had stagged ‘Oshiomhole must go’ protest, accusing him of dividing the party.
The protesters claimed that the current national chairman is expected to uphold the constitution but has allegedly worked against it, leading to division in the party, especially in Edo state.
They, however, urged President Muhammadu Buhari, former Lagos state governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and other national leaders of APC to prevail on Adams Oshiomhole to honourably resign as national chairman.
The protesters were seen holding big banners in different groups with inscription “Oshiomhole must go.”
One of the leaders of the angry protesters, Iyoha Toni Osakbovo, from Edo state, said the protest is about saving the soul of the APC as a national party.
“I’m from Edo state and I am a member of APC Patriotic Stakeholders Forum. We have come to save our party, the person that we gave the mantle to uphold our constitution, we have realised that he is the person attacking the constitution.
“He sworn to protect our great party but so far what we have seen is not what is working. He is the person attacking the constitution, he has factionalised the party in our state, Edo state. As I’m talking to you now he has created a faction in the party.
“We are begging Mr. President that by this motion I am going to move now to please safe this party because Adams Oshiomhole came to meet this party, there was a national chairman before Oshiomhole became chairman. We do not see reason why Adams Oshiomhole will destroy this party.
“We are begging the president to come to our aid because the person that is supposed to uphold the constitution is now the person that is destroying the constitution. Our constitution is very clear, the National Working Committee (NWC) has no disciplinary power, but under Oshiomhole, the NWC is usurping the power of NEC.
“There is nowhere in the constitution that says NWC has disciplinary power, but how come under Oshiomhole the issues are now different? So, we are begging the president, it is time for us to start healing, enough of fighting,” he stated.
However, miffed by the development, his loyalists called efforts towards saving him, printing colourful strongly worded posters with the catchy headline ‘Oshiomhole must stay’.
Strategically pasted the in large quantity at the main entrance gate and fences infront of the secretariat along Blantyre street, Wuse 11 Abuja, the colourful posters with multiple pictures of the national chairman alone and with President Muhammadu Buhari, made the secretariat colourful.
Speaking on the issue, a security personnel confided in Daily Sun loyalty that the loyalists and members of the pro Oshiomhole protesters had stormed the secretariat on Sunday to place the posters.
The colourful poster, which was signed by a supporter who identified himself as Babangida Aliyu, reads: “Support the incorruptible, no- nonsense, dogged national chairman of the ruling party the first and only Comrade Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole.”
The battle seem not to be over as majority of the posters have already been defaced, an indication that the conspiracy to unseat him is still very thick.
