Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, and Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, on Thursday renewed their attacks on Adams Oshiomhole, the national chairman of their party, the All Progressives Congress.
While Okorocha claimed the fortunes of the APC had witnessed a downturn since Adams Oshiomhole took over as national chairman, Amosun alleged that the party chairman and his cohorts were working towards handing over Ogun to “a gang of expansionists.”
Amosun’s attack is contained in a statement written on his behalf by the state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Otunba Adedayo Adeneye, a copy of which was made available to our correspondent.
Amosun, who was reacting to Oshiomhole’s defence on the crisis rocking the APC following its recent primaries, noted that Oshiomhole had visited injustice on Ogun State by not allowing the wishes of the people of the state to stand.
The governor had reiterated that the only authentic governorship primary in the state was the one that produced Adekunle Akinlade.
While he accused Oshiomhole of not abiding by the rules and guidelines of the party, he said his attempts to hide under “false claims about conscience and integrity are cheap.”
The statement read partly, “Oshiomhole knows that there were no other gubernatorial primaries held in Ogun State other than the one that produced Adekunle Akinlade as candidate.
“He knows that the primaries into national and legislative offices were won 100 per cent by those declared winners by the panel he sent to Ogun State to oversee the exercise.
“He knows that the shenanigans of unknown court injunctions, unknown appeal panels and all sorts unleashed on the process by him and his cohorts are premeditated schemes executed to deny the members of the APC their true choice of candidates in the elections.”
He added, “Oshiomhole knows, as we know, that in the instance of the last primaries in Ogun State, he has fallen short of the minimum standards of justice, equity and fairness. Our consolation lies in the fact that in the fullness of time, what remains unknown to the public will become bare and everyone will see Oshiomhole and his co-travellers for who they are.
“In his conduct, Oshiomhole has exhibited disdain for the interest of the APC and that of the National Leader of the party, President Muhammadu Buhari.”
On Oshiomhole’s claim that only three state governors were aggrieved about the conduct of the primaries, Amosun dismissed it as untrue, citing a nationwide outcry that greeted the exercise.
He, however, said that the majority of members of the APC in Ogun State remained unshaken in their rejection of the “gangsterism” that had been visited on them in the conduct of the primaries.
He said, “They remain resolved that the attempt to hand over their state and their patrimony to a rapacious gang of expansionists in the South-West will be resisted, not only by members of the APC but by the entire people of Ogun State who are too enlightened to tolerate such abomination.”
On the other hand, Okorocha expressed his anger while speaking to reporters after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
He claimed the party was losing about five million voters due to Oshiomhole’s highhandedness.
Okorocha, who is also the chairman of the All Progressives Governors’ Forum, is one of those calling for Oshiomhole’s removal after the party primaries.
He said he had since discovered that the party chairman acted without the backing of the President, adding that investigation had shown that there was no directive from the President for the party chairman to act illegally as witnessed in some states.
Okorocha said he had also discovered that Oshiomhole was not under any instruction to replace candidates who won primary elections give to a wrong candidate who did not win election. This is the matter and I will simply say it is not with the consent of the presidency, he is on his own.
