Salihu Lukman, The Director-General, Progressives Governors’ Forum (PGF), Salihu Lukman has alerted the Governor Mai Mala Buni-led Extraordinary Convention/Caretaker Committee about a plot to present the sacked former National Chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole as a contender in the upcoming convention of the party.
Lukman in a submission to the caretaker committee said such will throw the party into new crisis and defeating the objective of appointing the committee which is to build consensus in the party.
“In the unfortunate event that everything is reduced to just electing a new leadership, there will be the high probability that the party will gradually snowball into another round of leadership crisis especially as we move towards 2023.
“In fact, the business of the forthcoming Extraordinary National Convention risks being marred with leadership dispute as the high current of 2023, which is already rearing its heads in the debate around initiatives which should drive processes leading to the Extraordinary Convention could undermine any attempt at consensus building leading to the emergence of the new leadership.
“Once efforts toward consensus building fail, the possibility of failed contest and new rounds of conflict should be expected,” he said.
Lukman also accused the Oshiomhole camp of trying to rig the Edo polls which he claimed they want to use as a bait to spring the sacked former chairman back to office.
“This is being foisted on the party as a strategy to weaken the initiative of the caretaker committee from taking steps that could facilitate the resolution of the leadership crisis through ensuring that the forthcoming Extraordinary National Convention to elect a new national chairman and other members of the National Working Committee for the party different from Comrade Adams Oshiomhole is blocked.
“In other words, everything is being done to ensure that the internal politics of the party is manipulated to create situations whereby Comrade Oshiomhole is forcefully made a contender for the position of the national chairman at the Extraordinary APC National Convention.
“Ordinarily, this should not be a problem. However, given that unacceptable strategies are being deployed to blackmail and bully all leaders of the party to make Edo election the only priority of the party makes it very disturbing.
“Even more disturbing is the clear indication that Comrade Oshiomhole and a section of the APC leadership that is working with Comrade Oshiomhole are not preparing to approach the Edo election based on fair contests.
“Not even the request of President Muhammadu Buhari for ‘a transparent process so that the confidence of the people will be strengthened’ is guiding the management of the Edo campaign.
“In particular, President Buhari was reported to have urged the Edo State APC governorship campaign ‘to do all that is necessary by following legal and constitutional means to win the election” he said.
