Adams Oshiomhole
Top Story

Why the oppressors are after me – Oshiomhole

287

  • 90% of APC members happy with my leadership style

The National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Adams Oshimohole, said his insistence that the party must comply with the constitution of the party by holding primaries to elect candidates for local and national elections across the nation pitched him against those he described as ‘oppressors’ .

“Anyone who knows me knows that I have been committed, I am organized, it has been in history that I have organized a huge rally which was solely dedicated to the history of one man one vote campaign. I organized that when I was in Edo State, I fought and I defeated the rigging machine. So, having done that I now been privileged to be Chairman of All Progressives Congress, I cannot watch people who have power try to suppress those who are powerless.”

“The good news is that the overwhelming majority, we have about 23 governors, I think we are very much happy, I don’t have issues with anyone, only one or two may have some situation that they may want to see differently but that how the world is.

According to him, only one or two state governors elected on the platform of the party are not happy with him, and that is because he insisted on following due process.

“It is not correct to suggest that there is a move, though, one governor has publicly said he will ensure that I am removed, that is fine, the beauty of democracy is any one or two could say something, but the majority is what matters. But I think even those two, when they have deeper reflection, they will recognize that all I have done is to stubbornly insist that the rules must be obeyed, nothing more, and nothing less.”

He said that has said that over 90 percent of members of the party were comfortable with him remaining as chairman.

This is even as he has said that he will not watch people who have power suppress those that are powerless.

Asked to comment on the alleged gang-up to remove him, Oshiomhole said, “I need to consult a lawyer who understands legal language to decode it to my layman understanding to be able to deal with it. But the only thing I think that I just want to clarify is that I have seen banner headlines, people are just calling me, there is crisis in APC, that my office is under threat, some APC persons are very angry and all that.

“I just want to say that this is my finest hour. I am being encouraged by the level of participation in our primaries and of course the more open, the more the democratic process is. Most people today who are actively involved in politics that we might describe as not too young to run, the only model that they have seen was the PDP model which ran for 16 years. So understandably, the culture of opposition, the culture of cheating, the culture of power determine outcome has been so well entrenched.

“And what we are trying to do under my leadership of the All Progressives Congress is to work consciously to entrench the core values of progressive politics which is that the people must necessarily lead, the members should not be distant spectators, the party members should be the drivers of this process. Yes we recognize power, yes we recognize protocol but at the end of the day, power must flow from the membership when it comes to primaries and it must flow from the Nigeria people when it comes to the popular election.

The APC national chairman said, “Somehow it has been my lot to be on the side of the oppressed whether that oppressed is a worker, whether is a senator or House of Reps, whoever you are that I think that my job is simply well cut out for me so that we uphold the rule of our party and the Electoral Act and the spirit of progressive politics and I think that I can say comfortably that about 90 per cent of APC membership are happy, it is not possible to have 100 percent.

“So, on the whole I am a very happy person, it has been quite challenging but I can say tough time doesn’t last, but tough people will always do. And I think we have been toughened by our history of struggle. And I humbled by the amount of support we are getting from critical stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress.

“There maybe one or two governors who have issues and those issues can only be resolved democratically within the spirit, the letter and all the relevant provisions of APC Constitution, Electoral Guidelines and of course the Electoral Act. The Electoral Act is completely blind and our party rules too are completely blind to power that it is sensitive to procedures, it is sensitive to processes.

 

 

Leave a comment

Related Articles

Breaking: Tinubu suspends Gov. Fubara, deputy, declares state of emergency in Rivers

President Bola Tinubu has declared a state of emergency in Rivers State...

Breaking: Reps pass tax reform bills

The long-awaited passage of the highly contentious tax reform bills transmitted to...

Just in: FCT Minster Wike Revokes PDP National Secretariat Land

In a shocking move, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Nyesom Wike...

Gishiri Demolition: FCT Minister raises compensation package from N655m to N1.3bln, orders immediate payment

Succour appears to be on the horizon for Gishiri residents, as the...

Breaking: Pipeline Blast: Explosion Rocks Trans-Niger Facility in Rivers

A devastating explosion has rocked the Trans-Niger Pipeline in Bodo, Gokana Local...

N6.9bln ground rent debt: Wike revokes 4,794 land titles in FCT

Two months after revoking about 566 land allocations, the Minister of the...

Breaking: Rivers Assembly Initiates Impeachment Process Against Fubara, Deputy

The crisis in Rivers State has escalated to a boiling point as...

First Lady Emerges as Grand Patron for 2025 African Women’s Volleyball Championship

Nigeria’s First Lady, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, has been honoured as the Grand...

Breaking: Appeal Court Halts Sanusi’s reinstatement as Emir of Kano

The Court of Appeal in Abuja has made a significant decision, putting...

Tragedy as woman leaps to her death from 3rd Mainland Bridge into Lagos Lagoon

A suicide mission was accomplished in Lagos when a woman took a...

Tinubu Vows to Restore Nigeria’s Squandered Unborn Generations’ Wealth

President Bola Tinubu has revealed the motivation behind his administration’s efforts to...

Information Minister Hails Tinubu’s Commitment to Nigeria’s Economic Transformation

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mr. Mohammed Idris, has expressed...

Oil & Gas Investments Will Not Make Africa Net Contributor to Global Emissions – Presidential Adviser Veheijen

The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to creating an enabling environment...

Lagos gas tanker explosion: 1 dead, several people injured, 14 vehicles razed

A gas tanker explosion occurred at Otedola Bridge in Lagos on Tuesday...

Exclusive: Over 20 buildings demolished as FCT minister bulldozes Gishiri community

By Daniel Okejeme & Samuel Akpan More than 20 buildings, including residential...

Just in: My govt will implement Supreme Court’s judgement in full — Gov. Fubara

Rivers Gov. Siminalayi Fubara has assured that his administration will fully implement...

Tinubu Urges Governors, Leaders to Prioritize the Poor, Vulnerable

President Bola Tinubu made an impassioned plea to Nigeria’s political leaders, including...

Breaking: Ex-Kaduna Gov. El-Rufai quits APC, joins SDP

At last, former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, has dumped...

Tinubu to launch mass electric-powered vehicles in Northeast

In a bid to promote energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions in...

Police Arrest Church Member Linked to Kidnapping of Two Reverend Fathers

For allegedly kidnapping two reverend fathers, a congregant of Catholic Dioceses Yola...