Following last Thursday verbal attack on the national Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, ( APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole by the Governors of Ogun and Imo States, Ibikunle Amosun and Rochas Okorocha, the APC national Chairman Adams Oshiomhole, has described the duo as “emperors.”
Addressing a press conference on Friday in Abuja, Oshiomhole, reacting to comments made by both governors on the outcome of APC primaries, specifically described Okorocha as “an embarrassment” to APC.
Okorocha on Thursday, after meeting President Muhammadu Buhari, said the party chairman is destroying the party with his method of handling party primaries.
Amosun similarly attacked the party chairman accusing him of injustice and fraud in relation to APC primaries held in Ogun.
On Friday, Oshiomhole accused both governors of imposition of candidates in their respective states.
In the case of Imo State, Oshiomhole declared that “NWC has met and we have upheld the result of Gulak committee and we have prepared the name of Hope (Uzodinma) to be submitted to INEC.
“If Governor Rochas chose to relocate to the (Presidential) Villa and use the ground of Villa to try to intimidate me to create a dynasty, I will – even on one leg but powered by the truth – uphold the best interest of APC members and indeed of APC people in Imo State.”
Explaining the situation in Ogun State, he said Amosun went against the primary process. The chairman said the governor had called him to say that Ogun APC was going to adopt consensus option, but he rejected it, insisting on direct primary.
“Amosun decided that him and his prefered aspirant will not participate in primaries organised by the working committee and even tried to withdraw the security necessary for the primary panel.
“At a stakeholders’ meeting, Amosun decided to introduce the third element which didn’t feature in the resolution of NEC, announced that Ogun State was going to adopt consensus and he proceeded to define what in his view constituted consensus.
“He announced somebody as the consensus governor, he proceeded to announce another as deputy governor, he went on to proclaim (himself) as the next senator and he said the current serving senator, Tejuoso, should step aside.
“He also went on to announce that the second senator also from Ogun State will step aside while another man will come in. Amosun went on to announce another man who will be the next speaker, and another one as next deputy speaker. He also singlehandedly pronounced that of the eight House of Representatives members, seven will not return. According to him, only one will return. All these he claimed is a consensus.
“However, Ogun State governor decided in his wisdom to conduct his own self help, I mean resulting to what you can call self help by conducting what he called his own primary. Secretary to Ogun State Government became Chief Returning Officer and I and other NWC members were watching Channels Television and we saw Secretary to Ogun State Government proclaiming himself as returning officer, and purported to have conducted primary.”
Despite the crises in his party, however, Okorocha says he believes his party will win next year’s elections.
The national chairman, who has been accused of mishandling the party, assured Nigerians that his party will defeat candidate of the main opposition People Democratic party (PDP) in next year’s presidential election.
“We will defeat Atiku the way we have defeated him before,” he said.
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