Oshiomhole: Tension as APC chairmen issue counter order to northern national deputy chairman

After an unexpected low blow from his deputy, APC national chairman Adams Oshiomhole is beginning to get sympathies.

The party’s state chairmen from the South-South have asked the Deputy National Chairman Lawal Shuaibu to apology to the national chairman within seven days.

Shuaibu, in a May 28 letter, called for Oshiomhole’s resignation over alleged high-handedness.

Under Oshiomhole, said Shuaibu, the party had become badly fractured in virtually every constituency in the country, and it’s fast losing goodwill it enjoyed before his emergence.

According to him, many decisions attributed to the National Working Committee were personal decisions of the national chairman, taken without any formal meeting.

But on Friday, the state chairmen in a joint statement passed a vote of confidence on Oshiomhole.

They then and asked Shuaibu to apologise to him within seven days to avoid the wrath of the party.

The chairmen include Amos Lalabunafa (Bayelsa State), Ini T. Okopido (Akwa Ibom State), Mr. John Ochalla (Cross River State), Ojukaye Flag Amachree (Rivers State), Aslem U. Ojezua (Edo State) and Jones Ode Erue (Delta State).

As a senior party official , Shuaibu ought to be well acquainted with the provisions of the party’s constitution on how to channel perceived grievances, if any existed.

“The Deputy National Chairman North merely expressed his personal opinion on perceived issues which is not a reflection of the views of the generality of party stakeholders who are yet to find anything untoward in the stewardship of the party’s National Chairman,” the forum said.

The forum also disagreed with Shuaibu’s claims that the actions of Oshiomhole were responsible for multiple court cases bedevilling the various state chapters of the party.

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“It was the landmines created by his predecessor (John Odigie-Oyegun) who was bent on destroying the party before departing that fueled the unfortunate situation and wondered why Shuaibu was just raising the issues,” the statement said.

The forum wondered why Shuaibu raised the issues after a committee was raised to look into petitions of anti-party activities against highly placed party stakeholders who were allegedly responsible for the loss of the party in some states.

The State Chairmen reminded Shuaibu that party’s Constitution guarantees the tenure of office of the National Chairman and the processes of removing him from office.

“The Deputy National Chairman North is hereby given seven days to apologise to the National Chairman in order not to receive the wrath of party members in the South South.”