- Now becoming pseudo president in Nigeria
The National Chairman of the ruling All progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, is beginning to show sign of willingness to take over the Nigerian Presidency from President Muhammadu Buhari in order ‘to restore discipline’ in the federal government. The APC national chairman construes the Buhari administration as coordinating a federal government where ministers do not have respect for the president. He admonished that he would not tolerate same as APC leader.
Oshiomhole’s disposition was pronounced in his order to the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, mandating him to inaugurate the boards of agencies and parastatals under his ministry or get suspended from the party and sacked from the federal cabinet.
Ngige had on Wednesday after the Federal Executive Council meeting at the State House dismissed Oshiomhole’s threat on compliance with his order, insisting he is not afraid of suspension from the party, with a caveat to the national chairman that they have already formed the APC before he joined them.
The Minister said he had written to the national chairman on why one of the four boards under his watch is yet to be inaugurated while the other three had been inaugurated.
Ngige disclosed that he had reconstituted three boards out of the four agencies and parastatals under his ministry, but yet to constitute the board of NSITF because of cases of financial malfeasance, which have put the agency under investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
In the letter to Oshiomhole, Ngige had stated: “Our National Chairman, I am in receipt of a letter referenced APC/NHDQ/ GEN-S/28/018/003 dated July 11, 2018, which was sent from your office and received by me on July 12, 2018.
“Ordinarily, I would not believe the letter was from you except for the barrage of media statements that came before I saw the letter. I read the contents of this letter with both amazement and utter disbelief.”
Oshiomhole, perhaps, irked by the minister’s response, reportedly vowed on Monday that the APC under his leadership would not continue to tolerate ministers who abuse their office and disrespect President Muhammadu Buhari by refusing to carry out his directives.
The APC national chairman, accordingly, threatened Ngige that if he does not comply with the directive within the stipulated time, he should watch if he will not be suspended from the ruling party and thereafter, sacked from the federal cabinet.