APC: Oshiomhole denies plotting return to lead party

Former National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has denied reports he is plotting to stage a comeback to the office amid the leadership crisis rocking the party.

He described the rumors as false, affirming his loyalty to the party under the leadership of Governor Mai Mala Buni in a statement by his media aide, Victor Oshioke on Wednesday, August 11, 2021.

The former Edo State governor dissociated himself from a statement credited to Chief Chukwuemeka Eze, an aide of a Minister from the Southsouth, who was quoted to have said that Mr. Festus Keyamo, Minister of State for Labour and Employment, and others were plotting to bring back Oshiomhole as national chairman, according to The Nations.

The former chairman said the statement was false as he cited the role Keyamo played in the dissolution of the Oshiomole-led National Working Committee (NWC) last year.

Oshiomhole said: “Our attention has been drawn to a statement credited to Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, a former National Publicity Secretary of the defunct New Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP), who is now a member of the APC and self-styled aide of Minister of Transportation, Chief Rotimi Amaechi.

”In the said statement widely reported in the media, Chief Eze was quoted as saying that Mr. Festus Keyamo (SAN), Hon. Minister of State for Labour and Employment, and others were plotting to bring back Comrade Adams Oshiomhole as national chairman of the APC.

”Ordinarily we would have ignored this nonsensical suggestion. However, it is pertinent to set the records straight and put to rest this ridiculous falsehood being marketed by Eze Chukwuemeka Eze.”

Oshiomhole recalled that Keyamo provided legal support through his legal assistants in court for those that filed cases for his removal as national chairman.

”Keyamo also offered legal advice on the legality of the NEC that was convened for the dissolution of the Oshiomhole led National Working Committee of APC and emergence of the Governor Mai-Mala Buni led Caretaker Committee.

”It is therefore frivolous for any right-thinking person to assume that Mr. Keyamo who actively supported the removal of the National chairman elected by over 6, 500 party delegates from across the 36 states and the FCT, because 8 out of 27 Ward executive members purportedly suspended a national party chairman, would now plot to bring the same Oshiomhole back to the office.

”It is strange that a serving Minister would share on public Social Media platforms, what he captioned as a “Private and Confidential” legal opinion for Mr President who appointed him, especially considering that he was in the political kitchen when the pot of crisis he is now offering advice on was being cooked.

Faulting Keyamo’s new position, Oshiomhole said: “If Keyamo has no ulterior motives behind his sudden change of legal interpretations of relevant aspects of the APC Constitution and the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the right channel would have been to sit down with his co-minister, the Attorney-General of the Federation, behind close doors and put forth his arguments. Alternatively, he could have sought a private audience with Mr. President or write a confidential memo to Mr. President and explain why his earlier opinion supporting the dissolution of the NWC and setting up of a Caretaker Committee has changed or is no longer tenable.

”Instead, he went to the market with his bogus arguments. His action is reminiscent of the indiscipline from some senior leaders of the party, which Oshiomhole sought to deal with decisively as national chairman.

”A minister certainly should know better how to communicate his concerns with Mr. President and party leadership in a truly constructive conversation behind closed doors.

”The truth of the matter is that Mr. Keyamo seems to have lost out in the power play and failed to secure the benefits he anticipated in Oshiomhole’s removal from office with the consequent dissolution of the NWC and other structures of the party. This is the main reason for his self-serving new legal opinion, which contradicts his earlier stance.”

Dissociating himself from the plot, the former chairman said he did not participate in any plot to destabilise or ridicule the party in any way or for any reason. He said he took exemption to draggeing his name into falsehood.

”This is an opportunity to further reaffirm Comrade Adams Oshiomhole’s loyalty to the APC under the able leadership of His Excellency, Governor Mai-Mala Buni.

”Oshiomhole’s position is that all hands should be on deck to support the Governor Mai-Mala Buni led Caretaker Committee to complete its assignment rather than creating distractions that are counterproductive to the mandate of the committee. He congratulates Governor Mai-Mala Buni and the entire members of the Caretaker Committee for their efforts in depleting the ranks of governors of the Peoples Democratic Party by winning three of them into the APC.

“With the successful conduct of the Ward Congresses nationwide, the Committee should be encouraged to proceed with the Local Government Areas, State Congresses and eventually the National Convention of the party.”