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By Emmanuel Mogbede
Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, new national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) said that he is in a hurry to assume office to enable him tackle the party’s challenges.
He stated this on Sunday in Abuja at the end of the party’s National Convention where he emerged as the unopposed national chairman of the party through affirmative vote.
But the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has told him to submit himself immediately to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over corruption allegations hanging on his neck.
The former Edo State governor in his acceptance speech, asked aggrieved members of the party, especially members of the New Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP) to remain in the APC, which he said they jointly built.
He assured aggrieved members of the party that his leadership would put in place a conflict resolution mechanism which would prevent escalation of crisis within the party.
Oshiomhole specifically, said that he would ensure effective reward system for party members who had worked for its success at all levels.
While paying tribute to the founding fathers of the party, Oshiomhole said Chief Bisi Akande, the party’s interim National Chairman and its National leader Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, remain indelible.
He also appreciated the immediate past National Chairman of the APC,Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, saying that since 1999, “no national chairman of any political party accomplished what he accomplished”.
Tinubu in his remarks at the event, said that former President Olusegun Obasanjo had no moral justification to ask President Muhammadu Buhari not to re-contest the presidency in 2019.
He described Obasanjo as” a busy body,” saying that he was not a member of the APC nor any other political party having torn his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) membership card publicly.
Obasanjo had in January, asked President Buhari not to seek re-election in the forthcoming 2019 presidential election.
“This man has the temerity of writing a letter.
“What is your business, busy body? Unfortunately, he has torn the card of his party, so he does not have one anymore, ”Tinubu noted.
He added that he was happy to be in the APC and not listening to those who advised him against associating with President Buhari.
He thanked Buhari for his tenacity and commitment to fight corruption in the country and for working hard to develop the country.
According to him, the President Buhari-led APC has adhered more to the tenets of internal democracy more than any government in the past.
This, he said, was showed at the party’s just concluded National Convention.
“We thank you that you have offered yourself to re-contest the presidency in 2019, you must run, and you will win, ” he said.
“We have changed leaders of our party: not at gun point, ask Audu Ogbeh. Thank God we have been able to stop looting and abuse of power,” Tinubu said.
The former Lagos State Governor thanked Gov. Abubakar Badaru of Jigawa, who is also the Chairman APC National Convention Planning Committee for the success recorded.
“Badaru, you have delivered, in spite of negative prediction that we will never see this day and that our party will fall apart,” he said.
Tinubu thanked the committee members for the show of dedication and commitment and for ensuring a successful national convention.
He also thanked Adams Oshiomhole, the new national chairman of the APC, saying that:” you are a true reflection of the saying that no matter how short a man is, he will see the sky.”
He, however, asked members of the new National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC not to abuse the trust reposed in them.
He assured that he would join other party leaders to support the NWC to enable it succeed on its mandate to move the party forward.
Meanwhile, the PDP in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan challenged the new National Chairman of APC), to immediately submit himself to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over humongous corruption allegations hanging on his neck.
The party said Oshiomhole lacks the rectitude to speak in public as a leader at any level, whatsoever, until he clears the allegations that he diverted billions of naira meant for the people of Edo state while he was governor.
PDP noted that since the petition against him at the EFCC is in the public domain, the newly coronated national chairman would do the APC, Buhari Presidency, the EFCC as well as himself a lot of good by quietly submitting himself for investigation and possibly, prosecution.
According to the party, since one of the campaign footstool upon which APC was elected into office is fighting corruption, it will be incongruous for Oshiomhole to go about his new assignment with allegation of corruption, even as tiny as a strand of hair.
It is also instructive for the new chairman to understand that Nigerians are no longer inclined to sophistry, illogical arguments, deceits, contrivance and recourse to abuse as a method of campaign.
The statement stated: “As such, the PDP would be prepared for engagements that have the potency of rescuing our people from the hunger and starvation which the APC has sunk them.
“However, the essence of Oshiomhole’s emergence as President Muhammadu Buhari’s sole candidate was not lost on Nigerians as the Presidency imposed him as a pliable instrument to frustrate other would-be presidential aspirants of APC extraction and hand the ticket to President Buhari, who, obviously is afraid to stand a presidential primary due to his failures in office.
“With Saturday’s charade, APC and its Federal Government, which claims to have zero tolerance for corruption, have eaten their vomits, confirming that they have been hypocritical and trending on lies, deception and propaganda.
“With the outcome of the Saturday’s convention, the APC has kissed internal democracy goodbye in the selection of its candidates at all levels as the national leadership, led by people burdened with corruption allegations, cannot but submit to the whim and caprices of those who granted them official protection from prosecution.
“President Buhari and his handlers should however note that manipulating the APC convention and seizing the party’s Presidential ticket cannot help them as Nigerians, are now fully rallying on the platform of the repositioned PDP in their quest for a new President, who truly has the competence to effectively run a united, secure and prosperous nation, come 2019, “the PDP stated.