Oshiomhole may replace chair
By Bode Olagoke
Abuja
Indications emerged yesterday that the governors on the platform of the governing All Progressives Congress (APC), may have concluded plans to pass vote of no confidence on the current National Working Committee (NWC) of the party, Blueprint has exclusively gathered.
It was also gathered that the Chief John Oyegun leadership was not ready to hold a National Convention any soon, contrary to a press statement put out last week, for fear of being sacked.
Blueprint gathered that some of the governors involved in the plot have, however, begun serious search for possible replacements of the current NWC members of the party.
A dependable source and a senior member of the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT), who pleaded not to be named in print, said most of the APC governors, had lost confidence in their representatives and Oyegun’s general leadership style.
Already, the source said, “the current NWC had breached the party’s Constitution “which clearly states that National Convention must hold within every two years, but the reverse has been the case.
“Most of the current national officers are having one issue or the other against their governors. In Imo, Rochas Okorocha is not in the same camp with the National Organising Secretary, Osita, who is representing his state. In Kano, the current National Treasurer is a
core loyalist of Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, which Governor Ganduje is not comfortable with.
“The same thing in Edo, the current National Chairman cannot continue to enjoy the support of Governor Obaseki because of the former governor’s interest in the same seat.
Go to Kaduna, Governor El-Rufai has lost confidence in the APC National Vice Chairman, Inuwa
Abdulkadir, and the list goes like that. So, the current NWC members know these facts and they are just buying time.”
When reminded of the move by the party to hold National Convention in April, the chieftain who dismissed the statement, said: “It is only a tree you will tell that you are going to cut down and it would still be standing and waiting for you. The NWC members know that some party members are not happy with them, and would not risk to convoke the gathering of the party that would lead to their ousters.”
Chairman of the Progressives Governors Forum, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, had revealed during a visit to the party secretariat in the thick of the crisis between the NWC members and the National Leader of APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, that the party leadership was in need of
“restructuring.”
However, in a statement issued by the new APC National Publicity Secretary, Malam Bolaji Abdullahi, last week, the party said the decision to hold National Convention not later than April, this year, was one of the outcomes of the NWC’s meeting which held last week at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.
The statement added that the processes leading to the National Convention would begin with the congress to fill vacancies in the state party structures across the country.
“The vacancies to be filled occurred principally from political appointments, deaths and resignations. The Congress to fill the vacancies would be followed closely by another Congress to nominate delegates into the mid-term non-elective Convention of the party.
“The Congresses will be followed by the National Caucus meeting, and finalised with the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the party, which will consider and set the dates for the National Convention, which is expected to hold not later than April of 2017.”
On Oyegun’s possible replacement, it was gathered that the former Governor of Edo state, Adams Oshiomhole, had intensified efforts to become the number one party member.
Blueprint gathered that the former governor’s Special Adviser on Media, Kazzim Afegbua, was at the party secretariat last week.
Although his mission was not known, a source said Afegbua, who was SA (media) to Oshiomhole, took time out to move round the party secretariat and some offices.
In a chat with journalists at the weekend, another chieftain of the party at the state level said: “As you know, some persons are angry with the National Chairman and these are people who are supposedly to finance the party.
“They believe that if Oyegun is removed, they can continue to finance the party and this is what some NWC members would like to see happen in the party.”
