APC crises: Oshiomhole divide party across states

TRACKING___ The present travails of the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole which has seen him being removed from office by one court and reinstated by another may have a huge negative effect on the party, as the development seem to have divided some state chapters of the party into a pro-and against camp.

Now indications are rife that the state chairmen Forum of the APC appear to be divided on the issue of the suspension order slammed on Comrade Oshiomhole.

The Publicity Secretary of the forum, Mr Lawal Liman, on Tuesday dissociated self from what he termed ‘the fraudulent vote of confidence” passed on Oshiomhole by the forum Chairman, Ali Bukar Dalori and the Secretary, Dr. Ben Nwoye on Monday.

Assuring that the forum would meet before the NEC meeting, scheduled for next week, Tuesday, 17th March on the issue, Liman claimed that it was untrue that states chairmen actually met in Abuja and endorsed Oshiomhole continuous stay in office.

He claimed that he had been inundated with calls by some Chairmen calling him to find out the veracity of the statement.

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According to him, “l have told them that no such thing happened and that they should disregard the statement. We had agreed, in the past, that nobody should issue a statement, in the name of the Forum, if the chairmen had not met and accepted the release of such statements.”

Enjoining party members to wait for the outcome of pending Court cases on the issue of Oshiomhole suspension, he expressed optimism that the crisis, rocking the party would soon be resolved.

“I want to confirm to my colleagues that there was no meeting held and there was no statement issued to pass a vote of confidence on the national chairman.

“All issues would be resolved at the next NEC meeting and, hopefully, we will hold a meeting of the Forum before the said NEC meeting. We will not, in any way, bring the name of the Forum to disrepute by doing what will take away our credibility”.

Meanwhile, the Imo State chairman of the APC, Marcelinous Nlemigbo has kicked against calls for the removal Oshiomhole, describing it as illegitimate and unjust.

Nlemigbo who spoke to reporters in Owerri noted that the sacking of the chairman will not be in the best interest of the party, just as he called on other members of the National Working Committee (NWC) to rally round the chairman.

He also claimed that the purported expulsion of Oshiomhole from his ward in the party does not hold waters, clearly maintaining that the NWC has the final right to decide on his matter.

“Sacking the chairman is not in the best interest of the party; it would look as if we are not organised; they should not ambush us. APC is not a small party; we have serious human beings headed by our president and everybody knows him to be serious with what he is doing,” Nlemigbo said.

He also added: “We are supposed to show an example to others; we cannot be intimidated by anybody; he is our chairman and for me, I will ask him to continue.”

On the purported crisis in APC in the state, Nlemigbo denied any of such, saying the party is like one family. “APC in Imo is like one family; we agree to disagree, but having got a governor, he is like a rallying point,” Nlemigbo stated.