APC: Oyegun bombs Oshiomhole

…Says ex-Edo Gov lacks the temperament to run a political party

…S’ South APC chairmen fault call for Oshiomhole’s resignation

Tunde Opalana, Abuja

Former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, has joined the fray as the anti-Oshiomhole movement in the ruling party gathers momentum, asserting that his successor lacks the temperament to effective administer a political party.

Absolving himself of allegations of being behind the current travails of the APC National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, Oyegun described the former Edo State governor as a master of the art of deception and confusion.

According to him, the allegations that he is sponsoring the dissent against Oshiomhole is ludicrous and infantile and an attempt to dream up justifications for the failings of the APC under Oshiomhole’s leadership.

Oyegun in a statement on Sunday signed by his Public Affairs Adviser, Chief Ray Morphy, said Oshiomhole has continued to falter because he lacks the temperament required to lead a political party in the 21st Century.

“That statement of booby traps is ludicrous and infantile, an attempt to dream up justification for the failings of the party under Oshiomhole’s chairmanship. Oshiomhole fails because he lacks the temperament that is required to run a political party.

He lacks the capacity to manage the different interests and tendencies that constitute a political party,” Oyegun added.

Accusing the ex-governor and union leader of always acting according to his whims rather than the resolutions of the APC’s National Working Committee, the statement equally defined Oshiomhole as someone ruled by his tongue rather than his mind.

“He (Oshiomhole) engages his mouth before engaging his mind, so he offends party members; so, how does that constitute booby traps by Oyegun, the erstwhile chairman?

Already, the deputy national chairman (North) has confirmed that Oshiomhole runs the party without recourse to the NWC.

“He acts in direct opposite of decisions taken by the national working committee. No minutes of national working committee meetings which in any event take place outside the party secretariat,” the former national chairman said.

Similarly, Oyegun spoke of how Oshiomhole led the party into its current wave of crises, faulting the indecision of the chairman with regards to adopting a uniform template for the conduct of primaries before the general election,

adding that “how would you not have crisis in states with the confusion that Oshiomhole created when he gave the states freedom to choose their methods of choosing candidates for elections.

“Much of the crisis in states arose out of sheer incapacity on the part of the current chairman; how does Oshiomhole’s incapacity become booby traps by Oyegun? Many party men were aghast at the unfairness and injustice meted them during the primaries process.

“Oshiomole and his chairmen should leave his predecessor out and face his duties of running the party which seems to be overwhelming him. He should face the dwindling fortunes of the party which he himself created. Only a bad carpenter quarrels with his tools.

“Indeed, Oshiomhole is degrading and demarketing the party. Rather than seek to bring more people on board, he is rather chasing people out of the party with his agbero style of engagement.”

The Daily Times recalls that Oshiomhole’s current travail assumed a new dimension after the Supreme Court ruling on Zamfara State where the APC lost all seats to the opposition of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The problem was further amplified when the Deputy National Chairman (North), Sen. Shuaibu in a six-page letter detailed how the party had lost much ground and has been thrown into crisis because of the leadership style of Oshiomhole.

Consequently, he asked Oshiomhole to honourably resign and save the party from a possible implosion.

Sen. Shuaibu letter forced several APC stakeholders to weigh in on the unfolding power crisis, with members of the National Executive Committee (NEC) who are national officers of the party seeking an urgent meeting with the national working committee to find ways of resolving the issues raised by Oshiomhole’s deputy.

However, last Friday, chairmen of the party from the South – South geo-political zone rose in defence of Oshiomhole, faulting the outburst of the party’s Sen. Shuaibu calling on the national chairman to resign and blaming Oshiomhole’s travails on bobby-traps laid by Oyegun.

The APC State Chairmen, who held an emergency meeting in Abuja to consider issues raised by the Deputy National Chairman, said they did not find anything wrong in the stewardship of the party’s National Chairman.

The chairmen who signed the resolution were Hon. Ini T. Okopido, Akwa Ibom; Hon. Amos Lalabunafa, Bayelsa; Mr. John Ochalla, Cross River; Prophet Jones Ode Erue, Delta State; Aslem U. Ojezua, Edo State; and Hon. Ojukaye Flag Amachree, Rivers State.