Edo: Oshiomhole impose candidate through crude technicalities – APC chieftain

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Salihu Lukman has once again raised the alarm that attempt to save the party from disintegration may be an effort in futility should the national chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole not stopped from brazen impunity and desecration of the party’s constitution.

This is as he accused the national chairman of imposing candidates in APC states through crude technicalities with particular reference to Edo state.

Lukman, who is the Director General of the Progressive Governors Forum, in a personal statement titled: ‘Struggle for the Soul of APC’ on Tuesday said with
unfolding development in APC, the party is fast becoming another undemocratic political platform, which is intolerant to basic tenets of free and fair contests is hard to admit.

Worried by the obdurate painful experiences the party faced with electoral contests in Rivers, Zamfara and Bayelsa states, he lamented that Edo and Ondo states are basically on a roller costar with perhaps emerging with the same predictable outcome that consumed APC electoral victories in Zamfara and Bayelsa states.

Narrating the unpleasant situation of the party, Lukman said “It is quite unfortunate that we found ourselves in this stagnant political water of brazen acts of imposition of candidates through some applications of crude technicalities under the leadership of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole as National Chairman of the party.

“It is clear that, APC leadership as currently constituted under the leadership of Comrade Oshiomhole is imprudent and cannot be entrusted with the task of leading the party.

“Comrade Oshiomhole’s NWC has hawked the soul of the party to political buccaneers whose narrow interest is just about unfairly winning elections. Party members must wake up and face the arduous task of reclaiming the leadership of the party.

“Where is the mechanism for conflict management in APC today after two year of Comrade Oshiomhole’s leadership? Can Comrade Oshiomhole mention just one instance where the party under his leadership is able to resolve any of the crises in the party?

“Or, can Comrade Oshiomhole just mention one case where the party was able to get members to build consensus? I have had reason in the past to appeal to Comrade Oshiomhole to apply his negotiation skills in leading the party.

“Unfortunately, he (Comrade Oshiomhole) dismissed my appeal called me names, which goes to show how intolerant he become, a confirmation perhaps that power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

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He challenged Oshiomhole to publish APC’s membership register for every state of the country while insisting that the party should not be pushed into debate about modes of internal party elections without producing the register of voters.

Urging party leaders not to leave APC in anger, Lukman said “nobody should contemplate leaving the party on account of the rascality going on in the party under Comrade Oshiomhole’s leadership. All members of the party and lovers of democracy in Nigeria must rise against what is going on in APC. It is a struggle for the soul of APC!”