Loyalists of the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole has threatened legal action against the Director General of the Progressive Governors Forum, Salihu Lukman over allegations he against the chairman in a memo he sent to the Bisi Akande APC National Reconciliation Committee.
The group in a statement issued on Monday by their chairman, Francis Inegbeneki, branded as malicious and insulting, allegations by Salihu, who had accused Oshiomhole of running the party like a dictator. They called on the Governor of Kebbi state, Atiku Bagudu to call the Director General to order.
“We find that statement as malicious as it was insulting and we have given the sychophantic DG of the Forum seven days to withdraw the offensive statement and apologise to Comrade Oshiomhole or risk a legal action.
“Whereas, the entire content of his so-called memo was tantamount to arrant nonsense, he has, as a matter of fact, ceased being the DG of the Progressives Governors’ Forum from the day he decided to market his soul to those who were afraid of the on-going reforms in the APC being spearheaded by the Oshiomhole -led NWC.
“He obviously has turned himself to a PDP man, masquerading as an associate of APC governors.
“For so long, we have kept quiet to his tantrums against the APC National Chair, thinking that himself and his co-travelers, including Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, would turn a new leaf but they have persisted in their evil plot against Comrade Oshiomhole.
“Comrade Oshiomhole is not in the same category with small-minded men, like Lukuman, who are making frantic efforts to please their pay masters.
“If his memo is not full of mischief and motivated by compromised conscience that was not out to promote reconciliation, he should not have sent it to the press before making it available to the Committee members” they said.
“The point we make is that a memo he had prepared for the Bisi Akande Committee should not have got to the press before members of the Committee.
“To appreciate how mischievous the so-called Lukuman is, he delved into Edo State politics to appease his pay master when he claimed the National Chairman is surrounded by sychophants in Edo as a result of which he ( National Chairman) does not take advice.
“If he does not know, the biggest sychophants around Oshiomhole were his (Lukuman’s) friends-Obaseki and Philip Shaibu-who are his links to Edo State Government House. These two people deceived Oshiomhole into giving them power and today, they want to kill all the leaders in Edo due to their desperation for a second term.
“We advise Lukuman to continue to cultivate his new farm in Obaseki and Shaibu but he should stop insulting Oshiomhole or APC leaders because they are not on the same political pedestal” they added.
Salihu had alleged that Oshiomhole has surrounded himself with sycophants from his home state, Edo and had became intolerant of criticisms of his leadership style by party members.
