A group, affiliated with the All Progressives Congress, the APC Concerned Stakeholders have today thrown their weight behind the party chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.
In a statement read and signed by Barrister Aliyu Yusuf, a chieftain of the party, the group stated that they have given full support and a vote of confidence to the Chairman who they described as a blessing to the party, and one who has “made unprecedented and selfless sacrifices” for the party’s success since he became Chairman.
The group described the protests of those calling for the sack of the party chairman as “crass ignorance” stating that these persons did not have an iota of understanding of how the party is being managed.
Barrister Aliyu Yusuf praised the Party Chairman for providing financial support to members of the party who ran during the elections in huge sums of money, a feat he stated had never happened in the party before.
“To start with, there was never a time in the past that the APC provided funds in cash to aspirants in the party who had secured the ticket and were contesting elections. It has never happened before.
“However, during the last election under the watch of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, Senatorial, House of Representatives and first term gubernatorial candidates were all given varying sums of money from the party to support their election. This money was from the proceeds from the sale of forms to aspirants; the balance is still what the party is using till today to manage its affairs.”
He went further to explain that the losses suffered by the party in some states had nothing to do with the Party Chairman, but had to do with the “anti-party” activities of some party members, who he alleged had made alliances with the opposition.
“The issue of APC losing some States which is being hanged as an albatross around the neck of the party chairman is a matter that is clearly beyond him.
“The APC lost in States where it entered into some sort of negations with the PDP. The somewhat ‘official’ anti-party action and decisions of some party members can not be blamed on the Chairman who, as an individual, did not have the power to stop those unfortunate intrigues.” He explained.
Barrister Aliyu further explained that the loss of Bayelsa State in particular had nothing to do with the Party Chairman but with the failure of the State Structure and leadership who had the task of presenting credible Deputy Governorship candidates, but failed to conduct due diligence on the candidate they presented to the party.
“Even those using the unfortunate incident of Bayelsa to justify their position against Comrade Adams Oshiomhole miss the point. Anyone who understands the processes involved in screening gubernatorial candidates would know that the screening committee composed by the National Working Committee (NWC) does not screen Deputy Governorship Candidates.
“Rather, it is the State Structure and leadership of the party at the state level that presents the deputy governorship candidates to the party. Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has nothing whatsoever to do with the failure at the State Party level to screen its Deputy Governorship candidates and present credible candidates to the party.”
