APC Crises: I have support of majority governors – Oshiomhole

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, on Monday said he believes he has the support of the majority of his party’s state governors.

Mr Oshiomhole was reacting to the reported plot by some APC governors to remove him from office.

The party chairman had on Sunday in a statement by his press secretary, Simon Ebegbulem, alleged that conservatives within the party are ganging up to pass a vote of no-confidence in him.

He said in the statement that his sin was his refusal to allow continued impunity and circumvention of due process being perpetuated in some states.

He added that he was not surprised by the gang-up, as he never had the illusion that the process of reforming the party was going to be an easy one.

Mr Oshiomhole’s spokesperson, however, called back the statement shortly after he sent it to journalists.

The party chairman, who fielded questions from State House correspondents in Abuja on Monday, said only one or two of the 23 state governors under the APC platform were vehemently opposed to his leadership style.

“Maybe there is one or two governors who have issues and those issues can only be resolved democratically within the spirit, the letter and all the relevant positions of the APC constitution, the APC Election guidelines and of course the Electoral Act.

“The Electoral Act is completely blind and our party’s rules also are completely blind to power but it’s sensitive to procedures; it is sensitive processes.

“The good news is that overwhelming majority (of the governors), we have about 23 governors, I think maybe one or two may have some situations they would like to see differently.

“Yes, one governor has publicly said he would ensure that I’m removed – that is fine. The beauty of democracy is anyone or two could say something but the majority is what matters.

“But even those two when they have deeper reflection would recognise that what I have done is to stubbornly insist that the rules are obeyed, nothing more nothing less.’’

Although Mr Oshiomhole did not mention the “one or two governors” who were opposed to his leadership following the primaries in their states, PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported the disaffection of some governors. Some of these include Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara and Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun.

In Zamfara, Mr Oshiomhole’s executives and Mr Yari have blamed each other for the violence and confusion that characterised the party’s primaries in the state.

In Ogun, Mr Amosun on Monday accused Mr Oshiomhole and a “Lagos cabal” of committing fraud in the governorship primaries in Ogun State where a candidate opposed by the governor emerged in a parallel primary. The APC headquarters has since recognised Dapo Abiodun as the party’s governorship candidate in the state to the chagrin of Mr Amosun.

He said he was very encouraged by the level of participation of members of the party in the political processes including the just concluded party’s primaries across the country.

He however declined comment on the Monday’s Supreme Court ruling which set aside an interim order of the Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt, which gave the APC, the go ahead to conduct its Ward, Local Government and State Congresses in Rivers State.

The Supreme Court nullified the congress that produced the current APC leadership in the state, a ruling that could have wider ramifications on the ruling party.

Mr Oshiomhole said he needed lawyers’ interpretation of the ruling before passing any comment.