APC Crisis: Oshiomhole Names Governors, Minister Behind His Suspension

The embattled National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, has noted that some governors and a serving Minister are responsible for his current ordeals.

He added that he knows those people behind his troubles and they know him as well, noting however that they can’t pull him down.

Oshiomhole made the submission after a closed-door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari in Aso Rock Villa, Abuja on Thursday.

According to him, he has done his best for the party but those against him, scheming to take over the party structure are attempting to push him out of office.

Recall that Oshiomhole was suspended as the APC National Chairman by a court order from Justice Danladi Senchi, of the FCT High Court in Jabi, Abuja on Wednesday, 4th March, 2020.

According to the judge, Oshiomhole should remain suspended pending the determination of the substantive suit seeking his perpetual removal as chairman of the party.

However, a Federal High Court In Kano on Thursday set aside the ruling of the FCT High Court suspending Oshiomhole.

Justice Lewis Allagoa of the Kano High Court ordered the police and Department of State Service (DSS) to provide security for Oshiomhole to resume in his office.

After his meeting with President Buhari on Thursday, Oshiomhole identified Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State, APC National Vice Chairman (North-East), Mustapha Salihu and an unnamed serving Minister as those spearheading the plot to remove him from office.

In his words,

“You will recall that I was here two days ago to brief Mr. President, as I always do on matters affecting the party. Just yesterday (Wednesday) morning, suddenly, I saw in the news that an FCT high court has suspended me as national chairman. And that the person who went to court includes one of my vice chairmen, North-East, one Mustapha (Salihu, APC national vice chairman, North-East) and four others. I was taken back because in the same suit they joined the APC, the police and the DSS.

Oshiomhole declared that ward officers of the APC can’t remove him as the National Chairman of the party. He also faulted the Abuja court order which ordered him to vacate office.

“I am not an officer of my ward. I am the national chairman of my party, elected at a national convention by over 7,000 delegates, So, how could nine persons sit down somewhere and purport that they have removed a national chairman? And the court, contrary to all logic, all judicial precedence, finds comfort in granting an interim interlocutory order to stop me from functioning, pending when the matter is determined. In other words, he has given the order without the facts being laid before him and in the process adjourned the case to 7th of April.

He also raised allegations that those behind the plot to remove him from office want to destabilize the APC and want to use the time lag in the court order to fashion out their plans.

“The calculations are clear that between now and April 7, my opponent in the system would have had ample time to do all the mischievous plans they have in place to destabilize the APC because some of them have membership of more than one political party. But, happily, this afternoon, a federal high court that I believe has jurisdictions on federal issues because the DSS, the police are not state institutions but federal institutions, has given an appropriate order to restrain the so-called suspension that was allegedly imposed on me by my ward in Edo State.

“I thought that I had a duty to brief Mr. President as the overall leader of our party about this development. Incidentally, when I requested for the audience yesterday, I wasn’t sure what has happened today would happen. But I had a duty to inform him about the court order. But, happily, before coming here, the order from a Federal High Court that has made nonsense of what the FCT court purported to have done has already settled the question.

“And I showed to the President the resolutions of my ward even though a ward executive does not have the powers to remove a national chairman, just to say that the document that we have says clearly that my ward passed a vote of confidence on me. How the court can hold vote of confidence and twist it to mean a vote of no confidence, only that judge can explain it to himself. But the good news is that this is not a final court nor is it the only court. Incidentally, it is just the court that didn’t have the jurisdiction even to listen to this matter. And our lawyers so pointed it out but the judge was determined to oblige those who want to destabilize the All Progressives Congress.

While lamenting the action of those behind his removal plot, Oshiomhole claimed they are people he had helped in the past, noting however that their plans would fail.

“Let me also say that those behind this plot, the hands you saw, which include, as you saw yesterday, the Edo State governor and his people jubilating … but that is the irony of life that you will help give birth to a child and the child looks for cutlass to want to chop off your neck. It has happened in history, it has happened in this country; so, I won’t be the only person. But there are other forces who see me for whatever reason as a threat to them. And those leading this anti-Oshiomhole campaign, some of them I emphasize, cannot even boast of a councillor in their state even as they lay claim to leadership position in our party.

“I am proud to say that I have done my best not only when I was a governor, I have done my best as chairman of this party. I have worked not only along members of the party and with support of the good people of Nigeria for the President to be re-elected, for us to have majority in the two chambers of the National Assembly. I also worked hard to deliver my unit, my ward, I worked hard to deliver my local government, I worked hard to deliver my federal constituency three of them in my senatorial zone, I also worked hard to deliver my senator. Those fighting me couldn’t deliver even a councillor of a local government in their unit. And they just feel that, if they cannot give me orders then they must do everything to embarrass my person; but I believe that he who God stands with, no man born of a woman can bring him down. I can’t say more than that.

“Those who are parading themselves, holding meetings at night, my prayer to my God is that let them meet at night, what they do at night will be destroyed by light in the daytime. I don’t go for night business, I do day business. They know themselves, they know me and I know them.”

“There is an issue in this country. People want strong leadership, the averaged Nigerian wants to have a strong leader for Nigeria. They want to have strong leaders in various institutions, they want institutions that are strong enough that cannot be controlled by individuals. That was why President Obama said, what Africa needs are strong institutions not strong persons. Unfortunately, very few sections of our elite want to weaken institutions so that they can control. And if you refuse to oblige them the misuse of your institution, then they go for your jugular, that is the only thing. Otherwise, I ask you, remember the confusion we had at the last NEC meeting? That meeting took place exactly a week or about 10 days after we had won Kogi election, Bayelsa election, before the court took it and donated it to somebody else. Yet, in the face of this victory, people said Oshiomhole must be removed, precisely because we won more seats. But, you see, whatever you do, those who want to fight you will fight you. But I know that my tenure will be defined my God not by man. And I worry more about what I will be remembered for when I was chairman rather than how long I was chairman.”