APC National Convention: Oshiomhole emerges consensus chairmanship candidate

The Saturday, June 23, 2018, national convention of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has subtly been concluded 48 hours to the commencement of the convention. This is not unconnected with covert endorsement of former Governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole, as a consensus candidate for the national chairman of the party.

The endorsement commenced about two months back when President Muhammadu Buhari held a meeting with APC governors at the State house Abuja where he made his formal endorsement of Oshiomhole as APC national chairman, urging the governors to fall in line.

The insinuation about a Unity List which was said to be masterminded by APC governors gave currency to fears of anointed candidates for the convention which include the national chairman whose election had been predetermined before the assemblage of APC stakeholders at the Eagles Square, Abuja, to elect new members of the APC National Working Committee (NWC).

Invariably, the Saturday national convention would end being a novelty assembly for the announcement of the anointed party leaders by the dominant faction in the ruling APC.

Accordingly, two other candidates for the national chairman, Chief Clement Ebri, also a former Governor of Cross River, and Oserheimen Osunbor, former Governor of Edo State, have become apparently intimidated and discouraged from proceeding with their ambition for the party leadership being convinced that the contest is already concluded before the main event begins.

In other words, APC stakeholders would be going to the Saturday national convention for the coronation of Oshiomhole as national chairman, as well as other NWC officers.

Oshiomhole is already spitting fire, perhaps, to please the political principals sponsoring his coronation as national chairman. Thus, the former Edo Governor threatens to ensure party supremacy when he assumes of APC National Chairman.

National Daily gathered that Oshiomhole in an interactive session with APC youth members in Abuja on Wednesday, boasted that when  he assumes office, he would ensure President Muhammadu Buhari and other government officials bow to the regulations of the party.

“We will subject everyone to the dictates of our constitution and remain faithful to the manifesto of the party on the basis of which we were elected by the Nigerian people,” he stated.

The prospective APC national chairman further said:  “The whole idea of seeking election on a party platform is that there is a burden of ideas to be shared and that bind us together.

“To my recollection, we haven’t had any serious platform as a party where the agenda was to debate policy options and choices attached to each policy we fought for.

“To me, this is what a political party should represent. It is not only meeting during elections, but meet from time to time to discuss policy options.

“Policies on the economy, social policies, policies that affect how our society is organised and run and even issues of crime, to have a policy on how to fight crime. That way, we will be discussing issues.

“I think that we are in a situation that the only thing that commands banner headlines in our media, today, is more of issues of religion and ethnicity.

“As we speak, most of us have simply become ethnic champions and we are moved by religious sentiments. Important as religion is, it becomes dysfunctional if our lives are simply defined by the way we think or join a political party based on our religious belief.

“I believe that everything considered, we are still the favored party, but we must not take the support of the people for granted. My task is to be able to assist government at all levels to work in a way that reflects the core values of the APC.”