Some aggrieved members of the National Executive Committee of the All Progressives Congress, numbering 43, have demanded the resignation of the National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole.
The aggrieved NEC members at a press briefing on Friday night in Abuja after NEC meeting accused Oshiomhole of abruptly ending the NEC meeting.
The Zamfara State APC Chairman, Lawal Liman, who spoke on their behalf, said most of the goodwill acquired by the party at inception had taken a downturn under the former Edo State governor.
He said, “The APC was founded as a platform for the progressives in Nigeria in 2014, with ‘change’ as the slogan of the party.
“The party was positively embraced by the citizens of Nigeria, culminating in record-breaking victory of President Muhammadu Buhari, as the first opposition leader to defeat an incumbent President.
“Most of the goodwill acquired by the party, by reasons of its religious adherence to the provisions of its constitution and the tenets of internal democratic practices has taken a downturn, principally due to dictatorial and despotic tendencies of the national chairman, who has usurped the powers of the national Executive Committee of the party.
“This may have been responsible for the admonition of Mr President who insisted that the party organs, at the state, LGA and ward levels, must be strengthened and accorded due respect with regards to the powers and responsibilities conferred on them by the constitution of the party.
“Most unfortunately the facade presented by the national chairman, today, at a National Executive Committee meeting, leaves much to be desired. He completely ignored Mr President’s advice and rather defied all known rules for meetings by precluding contributions from members and ending the meeting abruptly, without achieving anything. This is most unfortunate and undesirable.
“Arising from the foregoing and having regards to the huge responsibilities bestowed on us as officers of the party and in the overriding interest of our members, we are left with no option but to demand that Adams Oshiomhole resign his position as national chairman, in order to stem the slide and provide an enabling environment for genuine healing, reconciliation and the practice of true democracy, within the party across the country.”
The signatories to the call for Oshiomhole’s removal included Bala Kangiwa (Kebbi Chairman), Habibi Sara (Jigawa Chairman), Ade Adetimehin (Ondo Chairman), Abdullahi Abbas (Kano Chairman), Abba Yaro (Benue Chairman), Omotoso Paul (Ekiti) and Mohammed Iman (Niger Chairman).
They also included Anslem Ojezua (Edo Chairman), Philips Shekwo (Nasarawa Chairman), Air Com Ikeda (Kaduna Chairman), Lakep Dabah (Plateau Chairman), Shitu Shitu (Katsina Chairman), Isah Acida (Sokoto) and Zonal Youth Leader (South West), Lawal Bolade.
