The All Progressives Congress members opposed to its National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, and his supporters on Sunday stepped up the battle for control of the party ahead of its Tuesday’s National Executive Committee meeting.
While some members of the ruling party told The PUNCH that there was no going back on their decision to remove Oshiomhole, the Chairman of the APC in Lagos State, Alhaji Tunde Balogun, said state chairmen of the party would not abandon the former Edo State governor.
He stated this just as the national leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, on Sunday hit hard at members of the party pushing for the removal of Oshiomhole, saying they had been afflicted by 2023 virus.
He said those who were afflicted by 2023 virus were undermining the APC and weakening the regime of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.).
The crisis in the APC worsened on March 4 when the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Jabi, Abuja ordered an interim suspension of Oshiomhole as the APC national chairman. The court hinged his decision on Oshiomhole’s suspension as a member of the APC in Edo State.
Twenty-four hours later, a Federal High Court sitting Kano gave a contradictory judgment by nullifying Oshiomhole’s suspension.
The National Working Committee members of the APC opposed to Oshiomhole fixed the party’s NEC meeting for Tuesday, but his supporters described the decision as illegal.
Prior to the March 4 court order, crises had hit Zamfara, Ondo, Bayelsa and Edo state chapters of the party. In Edo State, the party is divided into two factions, one loyal to Oshiomhole, while the other has the backing of the state Governor, Godwin Obaseki
On Sunday, Tinubu, in a statement he personally signed, said anti-Oshiomhole forces shunned agreed reconciliation mechanism in the party because they were motivated by their personal ambitions.
Explaining the implications of the plot to remove Oshiomhole, the APC national leader said anti-Oshiomhole forces were doing a great disservice to the administration of Buhari.
He stated, “Those afflicted with the 2023 virus do a grave disservice to President Buhari and his administration. They should be trying their best to help the President. Instead of seeing President Buhari as our present leader and commander-in-chief, their sole contemplation is upon his eventual exit.
“Yet, not even a full year has passed since his second inauguration. How can they be committed to helping him realise his mandate when the fullness of their gaze is affixed to seizing this very mandate for themselves?”
Tinubu, who dismissed allegations against Oshiomhole, stated, “The chairman is human; thus, he has his merits as well as his flaws. Yet his humanity cannot be grounds for his dismissal. If so, the position will forever go vacant.”