Oshiomhole Accepts NEC’s Decision, Calls For Unity In APC

The immediate past National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole on Saturday said he has accepted the decision of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party in good faith.

He also said he has directed his lawyers to withdraw the case in the Supreme Court in respect to the admonition of President Muhammadu Buhari during the NEC meeting.

Oshiomhole who spoke for the first time since the party’s leadership crisis began said he had no regret for all the actions he took while in office.

The former chairman who rated his NWC high for some milestone achievements recorded within the last two years of his leadership, attributed his modest achievements to the cooperation and support of members of the NWC and other organs of the party.

Addressing newsmen in Abuja, the two term former governor of Edo State said: “I thought that it is important that I formally react to the recent events as it affects our party. We are all aware that on Thursday, a special NEC meeting was called and was attended by Mr President, governors, APC leadership of the two chambers of the national assembly and some other leaders of our party.

“At the end of the meeting as you all know, the National Working Committee was dissolved and accordingly I cease to be the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress.”

Tracing his emergence as the party National Chairman, Oshiomhole said: “Mr President graciously invited me to run for the office of chairmanship of the party in 2018 precisely about two years ago. The President told me then that if we do not reform the APC, we can as well forget about the party.

“You know that reforms are challenging and it will entail taking difficult decisions. Mine has been a life of struggle and I accepted this and I believe I did my best. I am happy that at the end of the day, 2019 elections have come and gone thanks to Nigerian people, our President had more votes in 2019 than we had in 2015. We have more members in the Senate and House of Representatives.

“Unlike 2015 we were not able to manage our victory in the two chambers such that we had an APC President in the Senate and PDP deputy Senate President. This time working hard with my colleagues in the NWC and in consultation of leaders of our party across board we have the kind of unity expected in the governing party in the two chambers of the national assembly.

“I am happy that the leadership of the National Assembly is working harmoniously with Mr President today.

“The APC under my chairmanship has done its best and the results are there. Of course we have now been dissolved and I have accepted that dissolution in good faith.

“I am not going into the question of legality or illegality. The bottom line is that the President who invited me to lead the party and who mobilised all the support for my emergence as chairman also presided over the meeting where the NWC has now been dissolved.

“As a demonstration of my loyalty to Mr President, loyalty to our party and loyalty Nigeria nation, I have decided to accept the decision in good faith and to maintain my loyalty, my respect and admiration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

“I want to assure everybody that APC will have peace and by the special grace of God, President Buhari will achieve his 3 key principal promises he made to Nigerians and I will give him all the support that I can give as a Nigerian and as a member of APC and number three as a loyalist of President Muhammadu Buhari.

“I remain proud that we were able to recover Kwara State. That was extremely important to us, for reasons I need not to enumerate. I am happy we were able to recover Gombe State. These were strategic states. There were couple of other things I cannot speak to in keeping with the admonition of the President during the 8th NEC meeting of the APC.

Oshiomhole said he has instructed his lawyers to discontinue the action at the Supreme Court.

According to him, “I have instructed my lawyers to withdraw my case that is currently pending at the Supreme Court which has to do with the issue of my suspension. To sustain the legal action would be tantamount to disobeying one of the decisions that the President has made, namely, all cases should be withdrawn in court.

“I believe as a member of APC, I have a duty to live by example. I have taken a bow and accept the decision of the NEC in good faith and I want to reassure Mr. President that my confidence in his leadership remain unshaken. My commitment to our party as a member remain unshaken”.

He then expressed appreciation to all the governors elected under the platform of the party as well as members of other organs of the party.

On his contentious suspension by ward executive of the party, Oshiomhole dismissed the issue, he maintained that the NWC has ratified the lifting of the suspension. According to him, “I am at peace with my people at home.”

Asked if he had regrets, Oshiomhole was vehement. “I have no regrets. You cannot lead a party as large as APC in a diverse country like Nigeria and expect that everybody will be happy for you. I have no regrets.”