APC chieftain tackles Oshiomhole, accuses him of plot to remove Oyegun as party chair

A lawyer and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Elvis Asoro has said that the immediate-past governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole is plotting the removal of the National Chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun.

Asoro who described as lame, the defense put up by the former governor denying the allegation said that in the lead up to the recent APC National Caucus and National Executive Committee (NEC) meetings, Oshiomhole embarked on an elaborate lobbying scheme to remove and replace the APC National Chairman.

“A national Newspaper reported how Oshiomhole lobbied 17 APC governors to support his bid for the APC National Chairmanship. There was no denial from him of this report. However, he has been quick to deny a similar claim as an ‘unknown group’.

“This is how his media aide explains the misadventure: ‘It is true that many observers and party faithful have voiced their preference for Oshiomhole to lead the APC, but that does not mean that they are sponsored by him or got his approval.’

One may ask, who are these ‘many observers’ and ‘party faithful’ and why the choice of Oshiomhole and nobody else,” Asoro queried.

According to Asoro, “Oshiomhole may as well deny that he lobbied hard, with humiliating futility, for the position of Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), which fell vacant with the suspension and eventual sack of Babachir Lawal.

“He may also deny that, on the strength of indications of an imminent cabinet reshuffle, he is frantically lobbying for a ministerial position, with the implication of dislodging the current Hon. Minister of State for Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, a respected son of Edo State.

Meanwhile, Oshiomhole’s campaign posters are all over the place to become a Senator.

“The APC tradition is that the governor of the state is the leader of the party in the state just as the President is the leader of the party in the country.

However, the power-hungry Oshiomhole has bulldozed himself into the position of the de facto APC state leader for Edo, thereby usurping the legitimate position of Godwin Obaseki, the governor of the State.

“Would Oshiomhole have accepted anyone else parading himself as leader of APC when he was governor? Is he trying to reduce or portray the governor of Edo State as his puppet?

Did he not fight the notion of god father in our politics? By his self-confession as leader of the APC in Edo State, Oshiomhole has revealed himself to the world that he is a hypocrite of the highest order.

“Oshiomhole is entitled to wave his flag on the number of schools his administration renovated; the Okpekpe road (marathon) race; the number of roads it constructed; as well as the university he used the resources of the state to establish right in front of his country home.

However, time will tell if the processes for these “achievements” will pass the tests of transparency and accountability.

“Nigerians will recall how Oshiomhole’s toxic governance of Edo State almost cost our great party the election of the incumbent APC governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki,

but for the last-ditch efforts of the President, APC governors, APC National Chairman and other party leaders that ultimately ensured the APC’s victory during the last Edo State governorship election.

“A number of conclusions can be made from Oshiomhole’s posturing: he has an inflated sense of worth; he can only thrive when he is invested with government power;

and he is unable to contribute as an ordinary citizen because he uses power to oppress and abuse others and many have observed that Oshiomhole’s hunger for power is more for evil than for good.

“The question is, how long the party can tolerate Oshiomhole, who claims to be a respected party leader, but hides in the shadows and schemes through charlatans to engage in political misadventures?

We encourage him to come out of the shadows and openly pursue his political interests, however selfish and misguided. That is the honourable thing to do.”

In an earlier press statement issued by the former governor’s media aide, Mr. Victor Oshioke, Oshiomhole stated that he would not use underground methods to seek a position if he was interested in it

saying there was tremendous pressure on him to replace Chief Odigie-Oyegun, the former governor said those who are accusing him of taking steps to actualise such pressure were only being nervous and panicky.

“He deserves to be respected by all true party members and this attempt to drag his name into an imaginary contest is nothing but panic attacks by some persons who are just scared that his name has become synonymous with achievements.

It is an open secret that Comrade Adams Oshiomhole possesses a rare capacity to inject life and awaken creative energies in any milieu he finds himself. “This uncommon attribute make some people nervous,” he added.