The All Progressive Congress (APC) is set to hold its emergency National Executive (NEC) Meeting tomorrow, the National Leader of the APC, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinibu has yesterday renewed faith in Adams Oshiomhole, the embattled National Chairman of the APC.
Tinibu’s decision was made known shortly after the chairman of the APC reconciliation committee, Chief Bisi Akande, prevail on all the camps on loggerhead with each other to withdraw all litigation from court to set the platform for peace.
Although Tinibu was alleged to have had a confrontation with the then APC National chairman, Chief Odigie Oyegun that made him pave way for Oshiomhole to emerge as the National Chairman of the party in June 2018.
The former Governor of Lagos is being seen as scheming to be a potential Presidential candidate of the ruling party ahead 2023, with some analyst saying he needs to have his men in a strategic position to make his dream come true.
Some analyst believes that unless President Buhari takes a position on the faith of Oshiomhole ahead of them tomorrow NEC meeting, more confusion is eminent in the party.
To keep the party intact, President Buhari has to make his position known just like Tinibu has made his own.
A source in the party revealed that failure to do so might end up splitting the party into two camps until both parties agree to shift ground, that is pro and anti-Oshiomhole.
Daily Trust reports that the crisis rocking the APC over Oshiomhole’s fate has polarised key organs of the party, including the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), the National Working Committee (NWC) and the Forum of State Chairmen of the party.
Recall there has been a series of court order secured by both parties from the Abuja High Court against each other suspending and restoring the embattled National Chairman.
A clash which started from Edo state between Governor Godwin Obaseki and his predecessor is now threatening the very foundation of the party at the national level.
Meanwhile, Tinibu posited that removing Oshiomhole at this 11th-hour spell ingratitude on the side of the party faithful, accusing those fuelling the feud as fighting for their personal ambition ahead of 2023.
According to him, “he has steered the party through difficult elections.
His contributions should not be undervalued now that the bulk of elections are behind us.
To do so would be an act of ingratitude,” he said.
He noted that while the dispute between Oshiomhole and Obaseki was unfortunate, efforts to reconcile the duo had been rebuffed by those “motivated by ambitions that have nothing to do with the quality of the chairman’s performance.”
Meanwhile, it was learned that, Out of the 20 governors who are members of the APC, only two had made their positions known on Oshiomhole.
Apart from the Obaseki who draw the battle line with Oshiomhole, Hope Uzodinma of Imo State.
During the weekend said those plotting Oshiomhole’s removal will fail.
According to him, patriotic forces within the ruling party will not allow the party chairman to be humiliated.
Daillytrust learned that Babagana Zulum (Borno), Abdullahi Umar Ganduje (Kano), Aminu Bello Masari (Katsina), Yahaya Bello (Kogi), Abdulrahman Abdulrazak (Kwara), Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), Abdullahi Sule (Nasarawa), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Gboyega Oyetola (Osun) and Mai Mala Buni (Yobe) are said to be behind the former labour leader.
Those said to be on the other side are; Obaseki (Edo), Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), Badaru Muhammad (Jigawa), Nasiru El-Rufai (Kaduna), Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi), Abubakar Sani Bello (Niger) Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo) and Simon Lalong (Plateau).
while, Obaseki (Edo), Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), Badaru Muhammad (Jigawa), Nasiru El-Rufai (Kaduna), Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi), Abubakar Sani Bello (Niger) Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo) and Simon Lalong (Plateau).
