Former national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, says he does not need to be the national chairman to remain relevant and serve the party.
“I’m still active in all APC activities and I don’t think that I need to be a chairman to be relevant,” he said on Saturday during the fundraising and investiture for Victoria Unuoarumi as the 10th President of the Rotary Club of Maitama, Abuja.
Oshiomhole noted that he didn’t join the party to become chairman.
“I joined in order to form an alternative platform capable of kicking PDP out of power and that objective was achieved.
“It doesn’t matter the way things have gone. The primary purpose was not for me to be APC chairman,” the former Edo State governor buttressed.
He also noted that he has no regrets that he was removed as APC chairman and that he has accepted all that happened in good faith.
Speaking about the 2023 presidential election, Mr. Oshiomhole said he is optimistic that “God will not forsake a nation of 200million people”.
While agreeing that Nigeria’s democracy is not perfect, the former Labour leader said he is certain that the nation will press on.
“I believe that God in his infinite mercy will help Nigeria to sustain its democracy and guide us, as we move towards 2023 and the country will go forward.
“I want all of you to realise that I always make this point because Nigeria is much bigger than the total sum of the problems bedevilling it. So I am an optimist,” the APC stalwart said.
The Supreme Court has dismissed the appeals filed by a former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, and the ex-caretaker committee chairman of the party in Rivers State, Igo Aguma over Mr. Aguma’s sack.
In a unanimous judgment, a five-man panel of the apex court upheld the December 29, 2020 judgment of the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which set aside an earlier judgment of the high court of rivers state.
In the lead judgment prepared by Justice Adamu Jaoru, but read on by justice Amina Augie, the court held that the appeal was without merit because it was plagued with a litany of jurisdictional issues.
The Supreme Court said the judgment in the appeal by Mr. Aguma should be applied to the one filed by Mr. Oshiomhole, in which the former APC national chairman, among others, queried the jurisdiction of the Appeal Court in Abuja to have heard the case.
The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja, in its December 29, 2020 judgment had set aside the June 2020 judgment of Justice George Omereji of the High Court of Rivers State in Port Harcourt and sacked Mr. Aguma as acting/caretaker committee chairman of APC in Rivers State.
The appeal court equally affirmed the appointment of Isaac Abbot Ogbobula as the caretaker committee chairman of the Rivers State APC.
It held that it is the exclusive right of the national working committee of the All Progressives Congress under the party’s constitution to appoint a caretaker committee for any organ of the party.
Governor Godwin Obaseki has said that he will not fail to reach out to his predecessor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole if he believes that the former APC Chairman has something tangible to contribute to the growth of Edo State.
Obaseki stated this while appearing as a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
“If I find out that he (Adams Oshiomhole) has anything to contribute as a citizen of Edo, sure, I would reach out to him,” Obaseki stated.
The governor however noted that at this point in time, he doesn’t see any positive contribution that Oshiomhole can make.
Speaking further on reconciliation and healing efforts following his re-election, Governor Obaseki said his main opponent in the recently conducted Edo guber race, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, is yet to reach out to him.
Mr.Obaseki however stated that there is no bitterness, adding that he has said it on several occasions that Ize-Iyamu should work with the present government.
“If he reaches out to me, I will embrace him and if he has anything positive to contribute to our government we will welcome such contributions,” Obaseki said.
Adams Oshiomhole (l), President Muhammadu Buhari (c), and the Chief of Staff to the President, Ibrahim Gambari (r) during a visit by the former APC National Chairman to the Aso Villa on August 17th, 2020. Photo: [email protected] of Nigeria.
The Presidency has refuted claims that a former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, and the Chief of Staff to the President, Ibrahim Gambari has hatched plans to arrest opposition members ahead of the Edo Governorship poll.
The main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had alleged that a video of Oshiomhole telling Gambari about “arrest” before his (Oshiomhole’s) meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari is a prelude to the arrest of some unnamed opposition politicians ahead of the September election.
However, in a statement on Tuesday night, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, described the claim by the PDP as a “patchwork of mischief,” calling on Nigerians to dispel the “misguided” message.
APC Veteran Adams Oshiomhole (R) and Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, Ibrahim Gambari, at a State House corridor on August 17, 2020.
“It is equally a fact that various political parties campaigning in Edo have levelled accusations of violence against one another,” the statement said.
“In such a heightened state of uncertainty, responsible leadership must ensure that elections are conducted in a peaceful manner and if warranted, judicious use of Law enforcement to protect lives and properties of citizens is mobilized thus preventing criminal elements from subverting the democratic process.”
According to him, Oshiomhole and Gambari who have a track record of working to ensure the rights of Nigerians are protected and the poor are not marginalized, “will not be found encouraging any conduct that runs counter to these values.”
The presidential aide reiterated his principal’s stance on a free and fair poll in the South-South state.
“He does not support violence of any sort and its propagators will be brought to justice,” he added. “ELECTIONS MUST REFLECT THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE.”
‘The Laws Are Clear’
Oshiomhole had during the meeting briefed the Nigerian leader on the happenings in Edo State ahead of the poll, restating Buhari’s quest for an exercise devoid of violence.
“The President is excited at the prospect of having a free and fair election devoid of violence and the fact that the laws are clear; when people misuse firearms, the laws are clear as to what should be done,” the former Edo governor told reporters after the meeting.
President Buhari and former National Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole during latter’s visit to the Nigerian leader on August 17th, 2020. Photo: [email protected] of Nigeria.
President Muhammadu Buhari has restated his commitment to a free and fair governorship election in Edo State and is “excited at the prospect.”
Former Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole quoted President Buhari as saying this when the duo met at the Presidential Villa on Monday.
He said he also briefed the President on happenings in Edo State and quoted Buhari as saying that anyone who engages in unlawful activities before during and after the Edo polls will face the law.
“The President is excited at the prospect of having a free and fair election devoid of violence and the fact that the laws are clear; when people misuse firearms, the laws are clear as to what should be done,” the former Edo governor told reporters after the meeting.
According to Oshiomhole, President Buhari has always emphasised that the rights of voters be respected.
Clear Attitude
APC Veteran Adams Oshiomhole (R) and Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, Ibrahim Gambari, at a State House corridor on August 17, 2020.
“His attitude is clear: Nigerian electorates, their rights must always be respected and anybody using unlawful weapons; violence to intimidate the electorate, the President will never support such causes,” he explained. “And on that, we are together.”
He added that “It does not matter the party anybody belongs to, the laws are the same.”
Oshiomhole also decried the tensed atmosphere in Edo State in the leadup to the governorship poll.
“I have run elections as the governor of Edo State three times, and there was no violence,” he added.
The ex-National Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) wondered what “has changed now that the people have suddenly started talking about violence?”
Presidential Endorsement
The Edo governorship election is billed for September 19 with President Buhari earlier in the month endorsing the candidate of the APC for the poll, Osagie Ize-Iyamu.
Buhari had during the endorsement held at the Presidential Villa, presented the symbolic party flag to Ize-Iyamu at a closed-door meeting attended by his Chief of Staff, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, and some APC governors.
The Special Adviser to Governor Godwin Obaseki on Media and Communication Strategy, Crusoe Osagie, has challenged the former national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, to be courageous enough to tell Nigerians the truth about the circumstances that led to his removal, as bandying lies on national television will not save his drowning political image.
Osagie who was responding to claims made by Oshiomhole on Monday morning noted that “no amount of lies can controvert the fact that Oshiomhole’s political misfortune is self-inflicted.”
According to the governor’s aide, “Contrary to the narrative being advanced by the sacked national chairman that he was a victim of power play, Nigerians who have followed the events that led to Oshiomhole’s ouster closely, can attest to the fact that he was a victim of his own indiscretion and unholy machinations.
“In fact, in Edo State, Oshiomhole was the powerful force that millions of Edo people fought against, so that the governor could breathe and deliver good governance to them.”
“Nigerians know that Oshiomhole was sacked for his gross abuse of power and not the narrative he has been bandying on television. His obsession with power and absolute control of the same, drove the APC to a near-catastrophic situation.
“He was elected to build on the achievements of his predecessor, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, but he frittered away the enormous goodwill he inherited and embarked on personal battles that cost the APC such states like Zamfara, Sokoto, Oyo and created factions within the National Working Committee of the APC. So it was only natural that the consequences of the strife, crisis, and divisions that he caused would come calling someday.
“In Edo State, Oshiomhole turned against Governor Obaseki when the governor failed to yield to his subservience and his grand plot to rule by proxy. He literally invaded the Edo APC and set up parallel structures to hijack it. His predecessor, Chief Odigie-Oyegun allowed the state’s structure of the APC to carry out its activities without any interference. To Oshiomhole’s immoderation, Edo State is today a PDP state and we are free from his inanities.
“The former national chairman of the APC mortgaged the internal cohesion of the party, which ought to have been his primary task, for personal interest and set the APC on a roller coaster to disaster until the president intervened.”
He added: “Today, Oshiomhole has found it convenient to rewrite history, by playing the victim in an event he was the sole protagonist. But Nigerians will not fall for such a trick.”
On Oshiomhole’s claim that Obaseki does not have a manifesto, Osagie explained: “Obaseki has since unveiled his Making Edo Great Again (MEGA) manifesto to Edo people and the manifesto is clear about the direction the Obaseki-led government will take the state in the next four years.”
Osagie queried, “How can a man that Oshiomhole publicly acknowledged as the brain box of his eight-year administration not have a manifesto?
“Oshiomhole keeps running from one issue to another when confronted with facts and superior argument. He once called Governor Obaseki an MoU Governor. But the moment we confronted him with photographs of the CCETC-Ossiomo Independent power plant project that is awaiting commissioning; the Benin Refinery project which is at 70% completion; the EDPA-Mixta Nigeria Housing Estate and several other projects birthed by Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs), the former governor, stopped calling Obaseki an MoU governor.
“Edo people are very intelligent people who cannot be deceived with lies and propaganda. We have facts on the ground in virtually all sectors of the state that speak to the performance of the Obaseki-led government.
“The Edo Basic Education Sector Transformation programme (EDOBEST) has attracted the attention of several state and national governments who have come to understudy the policy.”
Former national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole says nobody can force him out of the APC as he remains a loyal and founding member of the party.
Mr Oshiomhole mentioned this at a reception organised in his honour by his kinsmen and supporters at his country home in Iyahmo, Etsako-West Local Government Area of Edo State.
Oshiomhole said on Sunday that those who were bent on destroying the Edo State chapter of the party, have been “smoked out”.
The former governor told party faithful and supporters that the party remains more formidable with the absence of those who have been ousted.
He said, “A few weeks earlier, the snake said APC was his house and that he was not leaving, but less than 72 hours after saying this, he left.
“If we had burnt the house because the snake was giving us a problem, we will all have been homeless by now”.
Mr Oshiomhole said he has come home to ensure that Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu is returned as governor of Edo State.
Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello on Friday stated that the issues recently experienced in the All Progressives Congress (APC), did not stem from Mr Adams Oshiomhole stepping on anyone’s toes.
Governor Bello stated this while featuring as a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
The governor was of the opinion that the former national chairman of the APC did not “offend anyone and nobody offended him”.
Mr. Bello also stated that Mr. Oshiomhole has done his best, adding that the former Edo State governor Oshiomhole played his own part and will remain a father.
The National Chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole on Monday led some members of the party’s National Working Committee to meet with the Chief of Staff (CoS) to the president, Professor Ibrahim Gambari.
The meeting which held at the State House may not be unconnected with rumble in the party over the disqualification of the incumbent Edo state governor, Godwin Obaseki, from participating in the state’s gubernatorial primaries.
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila has congratulated the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, on his 68th birthday.
Gbajabiamila said Oshiomhole’s sterling leadership qualities as the APC National Chairman have contributed tremendously in stabilising the party since his coming on board in July, 2018.
In a congratulatory message signed on Friday by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Lanre Lasisi, the Speaker said Oshiomhole has proven to be one committed Nigerian, who continues to work tirelessly in moving the country forward.
“On this day, I join millions of Nigerians, especially members of our party, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), in congratulating and celebrating our National Chairman on his 68th birthday.
“Right from his days as a labour leader to his period as an elected governor of Edo State for eight years, Adams Oshiomhole has proven his mettle as a leader with an uncommon sense of patriotism.
“He has brought his experience of decades and political sagacity to bear in leading the APC to victory during the 2019 general elections. His firm commitment to party supremacy and discipline is a trait that many do not have,” Gbajabiamila said.
Also describing him as a pragmatic leader, Gbajabiamila described the APC Chairman as one individual that has weathered the storm in difficult circumstances and has come out stronger and has remained ever determined to ensure the continuous unity and harmony among members of the APC.
The moment APC Chairman, Adams Oshiomole arrived the APC headquarters for the first time since his suspension. Photo Credit: Sodiq Adelakun / Channels TV
National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, visited his party’s headquarters on Tuesday for the first time since his initial suspension by an Abuja High Court.
On Monday, the Court of Appeal ordered a stay of execution of the high court’s judgment, rescinding Mr. Oshiomhole’s suspension.
Mr Oshiomhole was suspended on March 4.
During his Tuesday visit, the APC National Working Committee met.
Here are some pictures of Oshiomhole’s entry and other members of the APC NWC:
Photo Credit: Sodiq Adelakun / Channels Television
A three-man panel of the Court of Appeal presided over by Justice Abubakar Yahaya has ordered a stay of execution of the order of the FCT High Court suspending Adams Oshiomhole.
The Appellant Court’s order is pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice filed by the APC National Chairman.
Also granted by the Court is an order of interim injunction restraining the defendants from taking any action that will violate the order of a stay of execution granted by the Court.
The Appeal Court warned political parties to resolve their differences amicably without resorting to the court.
Hearing of the motion on notice has been fixed for Friday the 20th of March, 2020.
