The Enugu State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has declared that every gang-up against the national Chairman of the party, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole would come to nothing.
State chairman of the party, Dr. Ben Nwoye made the declaration on Thursday while addressing journalists over the protests against the Oshiomhole-leadership by some aggrieved members of the party.
DAILY POST reports that some of the members of the party, including the Director-General of Voice of Nigeria, VON, Mr. Osita Okechukwu, who are peeved over the outcome of the party’s primary elections, have been slamming Oshiomhole, accusing him of perpetuating impunity.
However, Nwoye urged the aggrieved members, including a former military governor, Group Capt. Joe Orji, (Rtd.) who has already defected to the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, to have a rethink.
He specifically asked the VON DG not to destroy a house he built by his ceaseless attack on the national chairman.
Okechukwu has been crying fowl after Mrs. Juliet Ibekaku-Nwagwu was declared winner of the Enugu West Senatorial primary of the party.
But Nwoye maintained that “the primary conducted in Enugu State was credible, but like sports, when the game starts, no one knows who will win, that’s why there were upsets, that’s why some people lost.
“Some got angry, left and joined a party that is unknown in Enugu State. I’m still begging them to come back because APGA is a ship bound for wreck.
“Those who stayed behind, including my good friend Osita Okechukwu for instance, a major stakeholder and pillar of the party, while we believe he should have won, he didn’t win. But he has taken on Comrade Oshiomhole, who is God sent, this is a man that Enugu State endorsed, including Osita; that endorsement still stands.
“We recognize his right to protest, while he exhausts internal mechanism, at the appropriate time he can even go to court, but we can’t say let’s destroy APC because he did not win, we can’t start taking on personalities.
“So I’m begging Okechukwu and others to come back, it is inimical to the growth of our party, it is counter-productive in an election year, going to the media, making unguarded utterances, unless he has pecuniary interest that is above the party, but I know him too well, he has none.
“Once there are two people contesting election one must win. Sometimes you get a shocker in a guarded democracy. In a guarded democracy, you don’t celebrate your victory until it is announced.”
On those rooting for the national chairman’s removal, Nwoye asked them to drop the idea as it was dead on arrival.
“Oshiomhole has done perfectly well, he is an excellent leader, he withstood the shock when there was wave of defection, they left and nothing happened, those calling for his removal do not have the interest of APC at heart.
“If you lost, it is not the end, Buhari lost three times but won the fourth time, you can’t start attacking personalities because you lost. Those calling for Oshiomhole’s removal have no capacity to do so, they don’t have the votes, he will finish his tenure unless he chose to resign,” Nwoye boasted.
He equally restated that Senator Ayogu Eze remained the governorship candidate of the APC in Enugu State, stressing that “it is deplorable for Okey Ogbodo to appear on Channels Television and present Barr. George Ogara as winner of the guber primary election.”
But in a swift reaction, Okechukwu said Nwoye was defending the indefensible.
He said in a statement made available to DAILY POST, “one understands where Ben Nwoye is coming from. He is defending his garri. You can imagine a man who Juliet Ibekaku had bruised with court cases arising from factional battle with Okey Ogbodo. He has no other option than to defend the indefensible.
“Ask him whether anyone from Enugu State is chairman of a panel of any sort, while Edo State has almost 30 per cent of the total of 37 chairmen of primary election panels.
“He should be ashamed that Comrade Oshiomhole didn’t find anyone fit from Enugu to head a panel.”
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