Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
If temper and tension in the All Progressives Congress (APC) fold is anything to go by, the days of the party’s National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, may be numbered after all.
Chieftain of the party told Daily Sun that judging by the magnitude of the fresh plot, the former Edo governor, may not last longer than January.
The party chieftain disclosed that the plot came to a head few months ago with the involvement of many APC governors. However, the plot was dropped following the intervention of the Presidency.
“I am sure you know why all the plots to remove him were put on hold? I am also sure you are not among those wondering why the hostilities and antagonisms from many quarters against him died down? The Presidency had pleaded with every aggrieved person against Oshiomhole to sheathe their sword until after the presidential election Appeal Tribunal judgment.
“The Presidency had said it will not be good for the party to be divided ahead of the judgment because it will not only send a negative signal but also portray the party in light capable of affecting the outcome of the judgment. The Presidency again claimed that his services and approach was needed before the judgment.”
The party chieftain noted that now that the tribunal has ruled, the underground and undercurrent plot to remove him has started with mostly the aggrieved governors leading the charge.
“There are overwhelming evidences to nail and remove him and I can confirm to you that Oshiomhole cannot last as the national chairman beyond January next year; that is if he survived December this year. We have had enough and he must leave before he kills the party. If he failed to take the diplomatic option of resigning honourably, be sure he will be booted out.”
However, Simon Ebegbulem, spokesman for the the national chairman, dismissed the plot as mere speculation and fake rumour.
“I don’t understand why people are always interested in fake stories about plot against the national chairman. It is not today the speculation started. Rumour that intervention by the Presidency saved him before the Presidential Election Appeal Tribunal ruling were part of wrong information they are feeding the media. We will see how events unfold when the time they gave comes and now that the tribunal has ruled. But I can assure you that nothing of such will happen.”
Only recently, Forum of APC Non-National Working Committee (NWC) and National Executive Committee (NEC) members accused the NWC of usurping the powers of NEC and failure to constitute Board of Trustees (BoT)/National Elders Council and to fill vacant positions existing in the party, warning that it will soon result in major crack in the already crisis-ridden ruling party.
“We use this time to call on all the key stakeholders to ensure that BoT/NEC, as the case maybe, is constituted within a reasonable time frame majorly to enhance our party Status and operation,” the Forum chairman, Nelson Alapa, noted in the communiqué.
This trailed the earlier personal letters to Oshiomhole by both APC Deputy National Chairman, Senator Lawal Shuaibu and the Director-General, Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), Salihu Lukman, levelling all manners of allegations against the chairman, including insensitivity and ineptitude and calling for his immediate resignation.
The chapter chairmen of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) had equally issued ultimatum to the national party leadership and the Presidency over what they described as poor reward system.
Beyond all these, the secretariat staff have been angry with the chairman for relocating most activities of the party to his personal office at Asokoro, grumbling that it has made the headquarters of the party a ghost town devoid of serious activity.