Oshiomhole Gets Confidence Vote From APC Groups

• Knocks for Gov Obaseki over agitations

BY VICTOR OSOWOCHI, ABUJA – The battle for the soul of ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) continued on Friday as two friendly groups passed a vote of confidence was on the Party National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.

Staging a peaceful rally at the Party National Secretariat in Abuja, the two groups, Unity Group of APC and Friends of Oshiomhole in Nigeria, jointly endorsed the Comrade Chairman’s continued stay in office.

Members of both groups had taken strategic positions on the road leading to Party Secretariat as early as 11am and were heard singing praises of the embattled National Chairman and drumming took over the road that leads to the party Secretariat to drum support for the continued stay in office of the national chairman.

Coming less than 24 hours after the Nigeria Police prevented a bloody clash between two opposing groups protesting for and against the Party’s National Chairman, the placards and banner carrying members of the pro-Oshiomhole groups stormed the APC National Secretariat to register their unalloyed support for the former Edo State governor.

Inscriptions on some of the banners and placards read: “No one can pull APC down”; “We stand with our Chairman”; Oshiomhole means well for the party”; “Osho Baba must stay”; Oshiomhole we know”; “There is no alternative for Baba and Oshiomhole”.

Similarly, other writings took a swipe at the Edo State governor saying; “Godwin Obaseki, stop the pull down syndrome”; “Obaseki, stop creating concussion in our party” and “We won’t accept negative narratives”

Speaking to newsmen on their mission, leader of the APC Unity Group, Mallam Idris Umar Farouk said the visionary and focused leadership being provided for the party by Comrade Oshiomhole is appreciated by all well-meaning members and supporters of the ruling party.

He described those agitating for the removal of Comrade Oshiomhole as enemies of the party, noting that the former Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President has worked so hard to turn around for good the fortunes of APC since assuming office as National Chairman.

Farouk, who is also the APC’s Deputy Youth Leader in Federal Capital Territory (FCT), said besides the sound leadership provided by Oshiomhole, youth in the Party have now been accorded more prime positions, including more elective offices under his watch as national chairman.

Insisting that Comrade Oshimhole will successfully see off his tenure as APC National Chairman, Farouk said; “we are here today as APC members to give support to our national chairman for the good work he has been doing. We want him to continue.”

According to him; “Whosoever is nursing the idea that the national chairman should go, he or she is nursing their eventual exit from the ruling party.”

Aligning their thoughts with the APC Unity Group, the National Publicity Secretary of Friends of Oshiomhole in Nigeria (FOOIN), Hon. Folorunso Oluwole Emmanuel berated Oshiomhole’s antagonists saying; “We are here to say Oshiomhole must stay”.

Emmanuel described those opposing the National Chairman as “political jobbers”, noting that the group was not worried by the opposition’s antics as “the antecedent of Comrade Oshiomhole speaks for him” loudly across the nation’s political space.

Fingering the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki as engineering the opposition against Comrade Oshiomhole’s leadership, the FOOIN Spokesperson said claims of state sponsored assault on the National Chairman in Benin last weekend was unbecoming of a man who benefited so much from the magnanimity of his predecessor in office.

“We are here to tell Governor Obaseki to leave the National Chairman alone and face his work of administering Edo State.

The FOOIN image maker, who urged Governor Obaseki to desist from the pull down syndrome, said; “He is biting the fingers that fed. He has a lot on his plate as a governor.”

“Let him allow the National Chairman to be focused and take the party to the next level”, he pleaded.