I See Hope, Not Despair In 2023 – Oshiomhole

• No regrets losing out as APC Chairman

Immediate Past National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, says Nigerians must not despair as God will not forsake the country ahead of the 2023 general elections.

Maintaining that he has no fears about the sustenance of democracy despite the mounting challenges in the polity, Comrade Oshiomhole also said there is nothing to regret about the machinations leading to his sack from office as the APC National Chairman.

“I have hopes not fears for 2023. People like to talk about their fears but for me, my life is about hopes. I think that by 2023 God will not forsake a nation of 200 million people.

“Our democracy has come to stay. It is not perfect. A couple of things could be done to strengthen it. But we could move on and get on with the job. I strongly believe that God in his infinite power will help Nigeria to sustain democracy and guide us as we move through 2023″, Oshiomhole told journalists in Abuja.

The former governor of Edo State, who attended the investiture and fundraising ceremony of the new President of the Rotary Club of Abuja, Maitama, said he chose to “sleep on his rights” permanently over his removal as APC National Chairman and his continued loyalty to the party should never be in doubt.

Insisting that there are no regrets over actions he took as the APC chairman, the Comrade Chairman said; “No, no, no. Life is not all about regret. I am a very happy man or do you see me looking sad. I might look small but not sad.”

On the court judgement that dismissed his suspension from the party at the ward level leading to his removal as National Chairman, he said “the judgment quashing my removal was not actually delivered last week. It was delivered on the 2nd of July 2, 2020, about two weeks after I was removed from office.

“The only reason I decided to publish it now was because I saw comments suggesting that people were not aware that the case was dismissed.

“I had addressed newsmen shortly after my removal and said that regardless of the legality or illegality of my removal, I accepted what happened in good faith and resolved I will not contest it. I promised to remain committed, do what I can as a party member to support the party.”

Offering further insights on the court case and his decision going forward, the former Edo governor said; “You know in law, you can decide as I have done, to sleep on your right. And as I took that decision to sleep on my right, it has remained sleeping.

“I have decided for the purpose of party chairmanship to sleep on my right and it remains happily so. You can see that I have been active since I left office because I don’t think I need to be chairman to remain relevant. I didn’t join the party to become chairman. I joined the party because we wanted to form an alternate platform capable of taking PDP out of power and that objective was achieved.”

“It does not matter how it all went, but the important thing is that the primary purpose was not for me to be chairman”, he maintained.