By Baron Ike
Against popular views of party members, the State Chairmen of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory on Thursday passed a vote of confidence on National Chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole and the National Working Committee (NWC).
The chairmen have also asked Nigerians to disregard any information about crisis in the party.
Spokesman of the Forum of State Chairmen and chairman of the party in Enugu state, Dr. Ben Nwoye, told newsmen after a meeting with the NWC members the issues raised by the deputy National Chairman were baseless and meant to embarrass the party, the National Chairman and the President.
Nwoye said the timing of the letter of the Deputy National Chairman was a clear indication of the actual reason for the letter, pointing out the accuser had better avenue to present his grievances, if he had any.
He said they had confidence in the capacity of Oshiomhole to lead the party to greater heights, adding his major role in the last elections was to lead the party campaign to a successful outing.
He said: “We discussed the issue of party unity and the need to move the country forward. Based on information we have and the need for the National Chairman to move this party and this country to the next level, we have all unanimously passed a vote of confidence on the national chairman and the National Working Committee.
“So, any news making the round that our National Chairman is facing crisis should be brought to rest. He is our national chairman, a strong leader and he has all it takes to lead this party to the next level.
“The issue you raised based on your question is high-headedness and that is untrue. We found out based on the meeting we just held with the national chairman and the National Working Committee that those issues are without merit and that they were brought up to malign the National Chairman.
“After listening to the explanations, we the state Chairmen discovered that there was no counter evidence to justify those allegations. It was meant to malign the party, the chairman and indeed the President. You recall that the actual reports came out on a day that was supposed to be the happiest day for the party, the day of inauguration of the President for a second term.
“Anybody with genuine issues should have presented them at the appropriate time and through the right channel and this was not done. So, it was with no other intent than to malign the President and bring us down.
“We are confident of this leadership. Nobody gave President Buhari any chance of winning his second chance even with all that he has done. This Chairman did something that was almost impossible.
“The job of the national chairman was to prosecute the election and he did and we did the unthinkable and the President has been sworn in for a second and we give credit to the National Chairman and the National Working Committee.”
Many APC chieftains including former governors like Rochas Okorocha, Ibikunle Amosun, Abdullaziz Yari and the immediate past national Chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun, have said that Oshiomhole is leading the party to destruction.
Their views were in sync with the position taken by Oshiomhole’s deputy, Lawal Shuaibu, that his style cannot take the APC to the next level if allowed to continue in office.