The crisis in the ruling party, the All Progressive Party (APC) in Nigeria and the recent dissolution of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) should not have come as a surprise to the Nigerian populace in views of the personality conflict and poor leadership style of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole who appears now on the page of history as the former APC National Chairman who lost almost everything, especially his public image.
Before his emergence as the National Chairman of the party, the whole nation looked up to Oshiomhole as a political material perhaps one of the Southern Nigerian with a prospect in Presidency.
With his emergence as the ruling party’s head, it was thought a reality coming true for “Baba Osho” as he is widely called; unknowingly, Baba Osho was coming to play the role of a political house boy and to use his influence to secure political vendetta.
For those who have been keen on the public relations of Mr. Oshiomhole since becoming a leader of the party, they could tell the popularity and acceptance of APC had depreciated. With APC controlling states reduced from twenty four to seventeen, the party’s lack of focus and misdirection have been attributed to Oshiomhole’s dictatorship.
Despite all these, slim victory of the party in some States like Kogi had been via the aid of federal strength and massive rigging.
While the power of every government theoretically comes from the people, the capacity of any ruling government’s party undoubtedly comes from the strength of the party arrangements starting from the wards to the local government level, to the state and finally the federal level.
However, in his style of rulership, Oshiomhole has always tried to hijack the affairs of the party at every state down from the ward in whichever jurisdiction he finds his interest or the interest of his godfather necessary to protect not minding how the people would feel. This is a testimony to the fact on how APC lost many states it had governed.
For instance, one could recall the crisis between Senator Rochas Okorocha, the former governor of Imo State and Oshiohmole, where the latter openly declared support for President Buhari’s re-election and vouched supporting an opposition party in the state for the governorship because of the interference of Oshiomhole in the affairs of the party in Imo. Till today, the duo are on different pages politically. At the end, APC lost it governance of Imo State.
Mr. Oshiomhole was a tool is the hand of the party’s big wig which deprived the former governor of Lagos State, Akiwumi Ambode his second term bid. The embattled Oshiohmole and until his recent deserved humiliation from the headship of the party had caused suffering in many states by depriving them of their desired mandates.
In Kogi State, many had looked up to the end of the regime of Governor Yahaya Bello but unfortunately, the Oshiomhole led Uzodinma gubernatorial screening with the greatest impunity disqualified the powerful aspirants who would have withstood Bello.
The crisis in APC which saw the political demise of Mr. Oshiohmole started from his State chapter of the party, prejudicially one may averred that it was a divine ordinance to disgrace him out of office. It seemed even God was fed up of Oshiomhole’s many atrocities and political justice.
In Kogi State, the Uzodinma screening template ridiculously disqualified the gubernatorial aspirants for many reasons such as “invalid nomination form submitted” and “not a financial member of the party.’ Apparently, it seemed the Oshiohmole led Uzodinma screening in Kogi State was oblivious of the Kogi people’s resolve to do away with Yahaya Bello including the Kogi chapter of APC members.
However, with Oshiohmole’s passion for wickedness and personal aggrandizement, Kogi APC formidable aspirants were disqualified unjustly in exchange for consideration either in kind or in cash by using disqualifying terms unknown to political parties in the country.
How on earth would someone submit to the screening committee a nomination considered invalid which he used millions to purchase from the same party. Yet some were not financial members!
For Senator Uzodinma, he might have been rewarded with the governorship of Imo State through the enterprise of the Court but it is obvious that God who serves justice at the appropriate time has begun demonstration of his wills. With Oshiohmole’s disgrace and deserved humiliation by Governor Godwin Obaseki, God is avenging for Kogites.
Although Oshiohmole’s membership of APC is still debatable, it however means little or nothing to him now after all his travails. Even the governor of Kogi State during an interview with the Channels Television appeared happy and excited that Oshiohmole is gone after “paying his dues.” At least, Kogi people had been served justice now that all that all was the Oshiohmole are now gone, for the moment, a sigh of relief!
– Suleiman Iliasu Idah writes from Abuja
Phone: 07037760688
Email: suleimaniliasuidah@gmail.com
