Tony Osauzo and Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin
A chieftain of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State, Charles Idahosa, yesterday, called on the National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, to tender his resignation letter for the interest and survival of the party.
Besides, he said APC is losing its grip due to the alleged overbearing attitude of the national chairman.
Idahosa made the call while reacting to issues in the crisis rocking the party in the state and to correct those claiming to have formed the party which he said they did not.
“It is very interesting today that everybody is now claiming APC. That is one of the reasons I cannot keep quite. I am a founding father, I see people just coming into the party to destroy it.
“Oshiomhole, as at that time, was still carrying placards on the streets of Lagos and Abuja, protesting as a labour leader. That was when we formed this party. We knew the roles he played that time.
“From the way we have seen issues, under Oshiomhole, APC is dying gradually and there is no way somebody like me can see issue and pretend not to see it,” Idahosa said.
He said the national chairman of the party has no political home base and that he has been suspended by his ward, local government area and by the state chapter of the party, adding that the only way out for him is to tender his resignation letter as he lacks the political acumen to lead the party but can best function as a labour leader.
“Oshiomhole must have been a very good trade union leader, I have my observations about that, but as a leader of a political party, he does not have the temperament, he does not have the character to lead the party, the best we can do for himself, because we still love him, is to tender his resignation so that the party can have peace because the way the party is going, it is going out of control,” he said.
Idahosa also accused the immediate past governor of being the brain behind the 14 members-elect of the House of Assembly not resuming sitting as duly elected members of the House, thereby denying the people of their rights.
He expressed optimism that Governor Godwin Obaseki would get the party’s ticket whether through direct or indirect primary, noting that it is the party that decides what pattern it will use in conducting its primary.
Idahosa while reacting to Oshiomhole’s comment on the Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, said he was not fair in his comment that he made Philip whereas it was Philip’s late father that made him, stressing that the late Shaibu would turn in his grave over such comment about his son.
Reacting, spokesman for the yet-to-be inaugurated lawmakers-elect, Washington Osifo, accused Idahosa of playing money politics.
“It is laughable for Idahosa to be calling for the resignation of our national chairman. He does not play politics based on ideology or principles, he plays his politics on who is bringing the money. He is saying this because of what he is making from the current system. Oshiomhole has come to reposition our party,” he said.
On the allegation that the 14 lawmakers-elect were being housed in Abuja and paid salaries by Oshiomhole, Osifo said: “That is far from the truth. We decided from the day of the illegal inauguration on June 17 that we are going to challenge the illegal action.
“The case is in court because we are lawmakers and cannot be lawbreakers, we are pushing out the case legally.”