By Harry Awurumibe, State House, Abuja
National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has described the agitation for his removal from office by some dissatisfied members of the party as mere storm in the tea cup.
Oshiomhole who spoke to State House Correspondents after visiting President Muhammadu Buhari today at the State House, Abuja in the company of other members of the National Working Committee (NWC), stated categorically that there is no threat to his position as the chairman of APC, arguing that there is no basis to remove him from the office he assumed in 2018.
He argued that the agitation is the normal thing in life but said he knows how to manage such a situation in order to achieve the desired results.
Said he, ” Well, actually, I don’t know if you know this proverb that says that it is only a good tree that bears fruits that attracts stones.
You hardly can see people throwing stones at dry palm tree.
“But just see a mango tree during its season people pass by and they will throw stones at it so I think that is my lot, you know”, Oshiomhole stated.
The former Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) leader further argued that he has done better than anybody else if the victories APC has recorded in both the last Presidential and National Assembly elections are anything to rely upon.
“But my report card is also very very clear and I think you, my comrades should also help me to interrogate this as go forward. Infact, my achievement in office is attracting envy even from the opposition party PDP which has since some of their members calling for the sacking of my good friend and brother, Uche Secondus”.
Meanwhile, the APC chairman has said members of the NWC were in the Presidential Villa Abuja to felicitate with President Buhari in the New Year and to assure him that they are in support of his programmes and policies and to encourage him to do more.
The interactive session went thus:
Question:
Hon. Chairman sir, good to see you in the year 2020, we will like to know what informed this visit to the seat of government?
Answer: We, at the level of the National Working Committee (NWC) decided to pay a New Year visit to Mr. President and to congratulate him on all we have been able to accomplish last year. And also to commend Mr. President for the renewed efforts to tackle the problems of the country as was captured in his new year message that was delivered to Nigerians. And I think it was also particularly important that it was published in the print media so that it was not the usual, you know, the new year broadcast which is if you miss it you miss it. This one you can keep it, you can evaluate it, you can analyse it and see how it affects you, how it affects your community or your location and your business. Aah, we think that that was quite significant. But like you know in Nigeria when good things happen they don’t command big headline news.
For example, consistently under this President people are now used to go on Christmas without having to worry whether there will not be any petroleum products in the market. Few years back people were always afraid of what will happen in the Christmas season. All savings, all the small money you have saved for your family you end up spending it on the road buying adulterated product.
The principles of leadership is to inspire people, give them hope and in this case, in line with the principles of Accountability and Democracy, democracy is not only about voting and everybody goes to sleep, it’s all about explaining periodically what he is doing, what he is going to do differently and what he hopes to accomplish within a given time. And I think that is what the President’s new year message sought to do.
And I am surprised to see that there are people who begin to wonder why should the President reassure Nigerians that he is not going to do Third Term in office because Third Term was planted by PDP- Peoples Democratic Party it is still in the sub-consciousness of most Nigerians that the first (sic) Nigerian President tried to do Third Term, emptied the treasury to bribe members of the National Assembly and since that President left, thanks to the National Assembly, no other next President has done 8 years in office. You can recall that President Yar’Adua unfortunately has since joined his ancestors, and President Jonathan did 6 years and so by the special grace of God, this President (Buhari) whom we pray will do his 8 years complete in line with the provision of the constitution. And because there is a level of idleness within a section of the political class people can sponsor all kinds of publications and to give doubt whether or not the President is planning to stay longer.
And I think it is his decision that at every interval he needs to remind Nigerians that he is not about to do what a PDP President did. For me it is necessary and in any case it costs us nothing to reassure us that I am leaving.
