Yekini Nabena, an official of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has cautioned against the public spat between the National Chairman of the party, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, and his predecessor, John Odigie-Oyegun.
Nabena, who is the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the APC, said the rift between the serving and former APC national chairmen has the capacity of affecting the party in forthcoming elections.
He cited governorship elections in Kogi, Bayelsa, Edo, Ondo and Anambra states coming up between 2019 and 2020 as polls likely to be affected if the rift was not addressed.
In a statement he signed, Nabena accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of plotting to exploit the situation ahead of the governorship elections.
He therefore called on the two leaders to put their personal interest aside for the wider interest of the ruling party.
Nabena, while describing Oyegun as an elder statesman, said the “former party Chairman should be seen making peace everywhere political interests among the members have snowballed into crisis and not adding ‘salt to the injury.”
He said Oyegun should tell Governor Godwin Obaseki the truth and not encourage illegality which is currently happening at the Edo state House of Assembly.
He said: “The media exchange between our former and current national chairmen does not serve the interest of our party in any way. In fact, it is demarketing and weakening the party when we should be consolidating ahead of governorship elections in Kogi, Bayelsa, Ondo and Anambra states.
“The PDP is waiting in the flanks to grab the governorship seats if we don’t put our house in order. In the interest of the party, our respected leaders who also happen to be former governors of Edo state must sheath their swords”, he said.
On the controversies trailing the Bauchi and Edo State Houses of Assembly, Nabena stated: “This is not an issue of politics. The party’s position is very clear that the right thing should be done not just in Bauchi state which has a PDP governor but also in Edo state which has an APC governor. The respective Houses of Assembly must be transparently and properly convened in line with set rules and democratic standards.”
He, however, warned that the two leaders would be held responsible if the main opposition PDP is allowed to catch on the current situation and take over Edo state in the next governorship election. He called on the former National Chairman to support the current National Working Committee (NWC) to lead the party to more victories instead of fighting them.
“I understand that the PDP which has been buried in Edo is planning to take advantage of the current situation. If that is a dream they should continue to dream but our leaders too must give peace a chance and not allow the evil dream to come to pass,” the APC deputy national publicity secretary warned.
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