PGF DG Transferring Hatred For Oshiomhole Against APC In Edo – Senator Bashiru

Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs Committee, Senator Ajibola Basiru, has castigated the Director General of the Progressives Governors Forum (PGF), Salihu Lukman for allowing his hatred for the former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to shoot down the noble efforts of the Party ahead of the Edo State governorship election.

Basiru also berated some of the so called Progressives Governors’ for their unsolicited and unwarranted outburst imbedded in Lukman’s statement which ought to be purely an internal memo for the leadership of the party.

The lawmaker pointedly declared that it is clear the intentions of the PGF DG and some of the so-called progressive Governors are less than noble and amounts to shooting down what the party has laboured so hard to build.

Basiru therefore advised Lukman to rid himself of the anti-Oshiomhole sentiments running deep among his haters and allow him to perform his legal and fundamental rights of canvassing for the candidate of his choice, especially when those against him have nothing, absolutely nothing to contribute.

These were contained in a statement in Abuja in which Senator Basiru called the APC National leadership to call Lukman to order and shut out from making disparaging statements against the Party, adding that the DG cannot be above the ruling Party.

In the words of Senator Basiru; “People who really have nothing useful to contribute to the on-going campaigns should desist from making remarks that will discourage genuine democrats who are working for the progress of APC and the Nation.”

The DG had berated the leadership of the APC for adopting the wrong approach to electioneering campaign in Edo State and for specifically allowing Comrade Oshimhole to lead the campaign.

Basiru also dismissed Lukman’s view point as conceding electoral victory to the opposition before casting the first ballot, stressing that; “no true progressive minded individual ought to nurse this kind of negative view point.

“The approach advocated by the DG that Oshiomhole should be withdrawn into the background is cowardly, weak and at the best, defeatist as well as treacherous.

“How can anyone withdraw his best asset when needed most? We shall be indulging in self-delusion if we say Comrade Oshiomhole is not important or central to the on-going campaigns, especially when the opposition has made him the focus of their campaign,” Basiru said.

He therefore reminded Lukman that the same Oshiomhole led Obaseki by the nose and campaigned vigorously for him to become governor in 2016.

He further said; “It is disturbing for a progressive to take the position of Lukman berating your own party publicly as ‘beating the drums of war’ and so conceding victory to your opponent before the actual contest.

“The view of the DG that Pastor (Osagie) Ize-Iyamu is an on looker in his own election is also not correct because Ize-Iyamu is sufficiently popular and had now been in political limelight in the State for years.

“In fact we fought ‘tooth and nail’ to defeat him in the last election,” Senator Basiru noted.