By Martins Idakwo
Adams Eric Aliyu Oshiomhole reminds me of that weird extreme contradictory possibilities that exist in all humans. The fact that we all have these possibilities in us, is a thing to worry about.
One time, Oshiomhole was the leader of those defending the common masses. At another time he was the one calling the shots in Edo State. He was also one of the most influential men in Nigeria, but now he is nowhere to be found!
The hope of the former Edo State governor, returning as national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), was completely dashed on Thursday, June 25, 2020, when the National Working Committee (NWC), which he headed, was dissolved by the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC).
That was a high point of the leadership tussle that had pitted him with Victor Giadom, the Deputy National Secretary. Oshiomhole was serving a suspension when he was eventually swept out of office.
In place of the NWC, which he headed, the NEC appointed the Governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni, as Chairman Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Committee of the party. Other members of the team are; Osun State governor, Isiaka Oyetola, (South West), Ken Nnamani (South East), and Stella Okorete (Women Representative).
With the Committee, Oshiomole’s tenure as the chairman of the party came to an abrupt end. The former labour leader came to the national political space in a flash and has fizzled out in fleeting circumstances.
Exactly two years ago by this time, he was poked and planted on the APC as the best thing to have happened to the party. In the ecstasy that had trailed his virtual imposition, the APC Convention scheduled for Saturday, June 23, 2018, turned out a mere formality as the outcome had already been known, three weeks, beforehand. And he eventually clinched the position.
In pushing Oshiomhole’s candidacy, former Lagos State governor, Bola Tinubu, pulled all his strings to ensure that the then national chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun, was not returned for another term.
Realising the magnitude of intrigues against his re-election, Oyegun opted out of the race. He however made a remark that has continued to haunt the party. He said, “I do not intend to be part of the problem for APC to solve. It is for this reason that I hereby declare that I will not be seeking re-election as the national chairman”. That was all that was needed to foist the erstwhile Labour leader on the ruling party.
Meanwhile, when Obaseki emerged the Edo State Governor, he changed the narrative of governance and introduced technocracy in the system. He brought his wealth of knowledge and experience as an expert and these obviously did not go down well with his predecessor and godfather who wanted things to always go his own way.
Oshiomole then sought various means of getting at the governor and frustrating his efforts including the disqualification from contesting the Edo elections. Oshiomhole, who was the National Chairman of the ruling party, was hell bent on using the party as his instrument of retaliation to frustrate the re-election bid of Obaseki against the wishes of a majority of Edo people who are direct beneficiaries of the governor’s transformational.
Among other things, a group, calling for the sack of Adams Oshimhole (Osho must go) accused him of reviving and resurrecting the collapsing People’s Democratic Party (PDP) structure, a political party it said was in 2018, ravaged by fierce intra-party feud but yet went ahead to win more states like Adamawa, Bauchi, Zamfara, and Sokoto, all strongholds of APC.
The group also added that Oshiomhole is….
Brazen incompetence: Second revival of PDP is evidenced in the Bayelsa State imbroglio. ‘’It is our considered belief that no sane national chairman of a prominent political party would submit the name of an incumbent senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to be deputy governor, without evaluating the strategic cost to the party. Most importantly, lack of diligent scrutiny of essential documents of candidate, or One-Man-Show, points to Osho-Virus crass negligence and incompetence.”
“Flagrant breach of APC’s Constitution via elevation of crass DICTATORSHIP and deceptively masquerading sole proprietorship of APC in the guise of Almighty Party Supremacy. We sincerely doubt whether Comrade Oshiomhole has taken time to peruse APC’s Constitution; for if he has, he could have been less narcissistic, less despotic and more collegiate in managing the party. For it is only super kings or despots that can impose national officers of the party in clear breach of APC’s Constitution.
“Manipulating, corrupting and mangling the 2018 APC gubernatorial and legislative primary elections. Is it 2023 that made Comrade Oshiomhole to mismanage our primary? Is it 2023 that made Comrade Oshiomhole to nearly shunt Asiwaju who made him governor and chairman, by covertly printing ballot papers to favour Ambode for Lagos gubernatorial primary?
“Employing double standards – It is on record that Comrade Oshiomhole in his infinite self-survival instinct, ratified the Lagos gubernatorial primary election which was not conducted by the APC gubernatorial primary panel set up by him, but by Asiwaju’s men and did not ratify that conducted by Senator Amosu’s men at Ogun State? Is this kind of atrocity the 2023 virus or Osho-Virus?
“Another misfit is when the Comrade ordered state chapters to choose between direct and indirect method of primary election only to change the choice made by states depending on his whims and caprices. For instance, he changed that of Enugu State from indirect to direct in the midst of gubernatorial election.
“In his classical double standard paradigm, he glossed over the suspension of his ward; whereas he ratified that of ward suspension of Barrister Inua Abdulkadir, vice chairman North West. Is that 2023 or Osho-Virus?
“Insincerity: Comrade Oshiomhole celebrated the abolition of godfatherism in Edo State only to paradoxically deploy his handgun, the Edo People’s Movement in a vain glorious plot to become godfather. Is this 2023 or Osho-Virus?
The group said this and more.
A number of the politicians, who made headline news; who were all over the place staging one event or the other, and carried themselves as though the whole would was on their palms, have today, slipped into irrelevance and nothingness. Is it that they retired to private life?
The likes of Victor Attah, Chinwoke Mbadinuju, James Ibori, Lucky Igbenedion, Niyi Adebayo, Peter Odili, Attahiru Bafarawa, and Achike Udenwa have all gone into political oblivion. Will Adams Oshiomhole tow this same part?
