Oshiomhole’s ouster, justice to Kogi people

The crisis in the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the recent dissolution of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) should not have come as a surprise to Nigerians in view of the personality conflict and poor leadership style of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole who is now on the page of history as the former APC National Chairman who lost almost everything, especially his public image.


Before his emergence as the national chairman of the party, the whole nation looked up to Oshiomhole as a political material perhaps one of the southern Nigerians with a prospect in the presidency. With his emergence as the ruling party’s head, it was a reality coming true for “Baba Osho,” as he is widely called. Unknowingly, Baba Osho was coming to play the role of a political house boy and to use his influence to secure political vendetta.


For those who have been keen on the public relations of Oshiomhole since becoming leader of the party, they could tell the popularity and acceptance of APC had depreciated. With APC controlled states reduced from 24 to 17, the party’s lack of focus and misdirection have been attributed to Oshiomhole’s dictatorship. Despite all these, slim victory of the party in some states like Kogi had been via the aid of federal might and massive rigging.


While the power of every government theoritically comes from the people, the capacity of any ruling government’s party undoubtedly comes from the strength of the party arrangements starting from the wards to the local government level, to the state and finally the federal level. However, in his style of rulership, Oshiomhole has always tried to hijack the affairs of the party at every state down from the ward in whichever jurisdiction he finds his interest or the interest of his godfather necessary to protect not minding how the people would feel. This is a testimony to the fact on how APC lost many states it had governed.


For instance, one could recall the crisis between Senator Rochas Okorocha, the former governor of Imo state and Oshiomhole, where the latter openly declared support for President Buhari’s re-election and vouched supporting an opposition party in the state for the governorship because of the interference of Oshiomhole in the affairs of the party in Imo. Till today, the duo are on different pages, politically. At the end, APC lost its governance of Imo state.
Oshiomhole was a tool is the hand of the party’s big wig which deprived the former governor of Lagos state, Akinwumi Ambode, his second term bid. The embattled Oshiomhole and until his recent deserved humiliation from the headship of the party had caused suffering in many states by depriving them of their desired mandates. In Kogi state, many had looked up to the end of the regime of Governor Yahaya Bello but unfortunately, the Oshiomhole led Uzodinma gubernatorial screening with the greatest impunity disqualified the powerful aspirants who would have withstood Bello.


The crisis in APC which saw the political demise of Oshiomhole started from his Edo state chapter of the party, prejudicially one may aver that it was a divine ordinance to disgrace him out of office. It seemed even God was fed up with Oshiomhole’s many atrocities. 
In Kogi state, the Uzodinma screening template ridiculously disqualified the gubernatorial aspirants for many reasons such as “invalid nomination form submitted” and “not a financial member of the party.’ Apparently, it seemed the Oshiohmole led Uzodinma screening in Kogi state was oblivious of the Kogi people resolve to do away with Yahaya Bello including the Kogi chapter of APC members.


However, with Oshiomhole’s passion for wickedness and personal aggrandizement, Kogi APC formidable aspirants were disqualified unjustly in exchange for consideration either in kind or in cash by using disqualifying terms unknown to political parties in the country. 
How on earth would someone submit to the screening committee a nomination considered invalid which he used millions to purchase from the same party? Yet some were not financial members!


For Senator Uzodinma he might have been rewarded with the governorship of Imo state through the enterprise of the Supreme Court but it is obvious that God who serves justice at the appropriate time has begun demonstration of his will. With Oshiomhole’s disgrace and deserved humiliation by Governor Godwin Obaseki, God is avenging for Kogites.
Although Oshiohmole’s membership of APC is still debatable, it however means little or nothing to him now after all his travails. Even the governor of Kogi state during an interview with the Channels Television appeared happy and excited that Oshiomhole is gone after “paying his dues.” At least, Kogi people have been served justice now that all that was the Oshiomholes are gone, for the moment, a sigh of relief! 
Suleiman Iliasu Idah,Abuja[email protected]

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