Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
The All Progressives Congress (APC) National Working Committee (NWC) has described its Deputy National Chairman (North), Lawan Shuaibu, as a mole whose preoccupation was leaking of party’s sensitive decisions to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
APC National Vice Chairman (North-Central), Ahmad Suleiman Wambi, who made the allegation, also frowned at the attacks Shuaibu and the immediate past national chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun, hauled at the incumbent party National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole.
While he accused Chief Odigie-Oyegun of sour-graping because of the manner of his sack, he said Shuaibu would face a sanction.
“I don’t think there is any crisis. As far as I am concerned, all of us belong to the same political party called the APC. We were all elected and given the same mandate to strategies and strengthen the party.
“Shuaibu expressed his personal opinion enshrined in his fundamental rights, but he got it wrong blanketing the entire NWC and the party in general with such allegations. If he has any score to settle with the national chairman, it should have been personal.
“Without pre-empting the report of the disciplinary committee set up to try him irrespective of whether he appeared or not, decision will be taken against him. He even said that we don’t have the mandate to try him, forgetting that anybody could be investigated if the need arises.
“He refused to exhaust all the party’s internal resolution mechanism before taking our party to the market. To add salt to injury, he decided to release that bombshell on the day of inauguration of our president (Muhammadu Buhari). That alone was enough to attract punishment.
“There may not be anything wrong with his action, but (for) the timing, the mischief in the content and his refusal to exploit the internal resolution mechanisms, we will certainly come very hard on him.
“Shuaibu caused most of our problems. Outsiders blame Oshiomhole but they did not know that Shuaibu was our biggest problem. Before we could finish our meetings, the PDP will be in the custody of our discussion. Before we finish our meetings, everybody is aware of our decision. How can you build a united party with a mole like Shuaibu in the house? But God has already exposed him and all his misdeeds will be further exposed in the disciplinary committee’s report.
“Again, the allegations Oyegun raised against Oshiomhole are also his personal opinion. Oyegun is still feeling aggrieved because he was rejected. Oshiomhole is a much more prepared person than him. He is just nursing grudges against Oshiomhole.
“As far as we are concerned, the party is in good hands. Oshiomhole is focused, vibrant and committed to the wellbeing of this party. People may not like his style, but if not for his dynamic leadership style and calibre, the PDP would have crushed the APC during the 2019 presidential elections. He has the interest of the party at heart,” he insisted.
But, in a swift reaction, Chief Odigie-Oyegun told members of the NWC to bury their heads in shame over the party’s woeful performance in many states during the last general elections.
The former Edo State governor spoke through his adviser on public affairs, Chief Ray Murphy.
“Chief Oyegun certainly left the party in a state that he is proud of. As a grandfather, he won’t join issues with people that are still confused over the bribe they collected and confusion they created during the party primaries.
“The party leadership should rather bury their heads in shame for losing five states. Instead of wearing sackclothes to beg APC members to forgive them, they are busy looking for who to cast aspersions on.
“They should know that Chief Oyegun, as an 80-year-old grandfather, has moved on and as an elder statesman, he wishes the party success in all its doings. And in doing so, he wishes that the people who run the party will learn the politics of decorum, diplomacy and how to speak in public.”
In his reaction, Shuabu dismissed allegation that he is a PDP mole as baseless and threatened to go to court to prove his innocence.
“Who do I know in PDP that I can leak information to? And leak information to PDP to do what? What did I do for PDP? I took a separate campaign for President Buhari, crisscrossing all the states by roads. So, how can anybody say I worked for PDP?
“When I see the publication, I will go to court because l need to know what I did for PDP. He (Wambi) will come to court to let me know what l did for PDP. He is an Oshiomhole’s man and one of the cabals,” he noted.