The National Working Committee of the ruling All Progressives Congress on Thursday set up a five-man disciplinary committee to investigate the party’s Deputy National Chairman, North, Lawal Shuaibu.
According to a statement by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Lanre Issa-Onilu, the decision was taken at the 38th regular meeting of the NWC held in Abuja.
Shuaibu had recently called out the party’s National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, on his leadership style asking him to resign.
But Issa-Onilu said the NWC passed a vote of confidence in Oshiomhole despite Shuaibu’s outburst against him.
The statement read, “The meeting of the National Working Committee at its 38th regular meeting held on 27th May, 28th May 2019 and 6th June, 2019, considered several issues, among which was the state of the party.
“After extensive deliberation, the NWC resolved as follows: to pass a vote of confidence in the National Chairman, Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole.
“To set up a five-man disciplinary committee headed by Otunba Niyi Adebayo to investigate the following: the allegation leveled by Senator Lawal Shuaibu against the National Chairman on issues involving the collective decisions of the National Working Committee.
“The instigation of Senators/members of the House of Representatives by Senator Lawal Shuaibu against the decision of the party on the choice of the Presiding Officers for both chambers (Senate and the House of Representatives).
“The committee is mandated to submit its report to the National Working Committee within seven days from today (Thursday).”
State chairmen back Oshiomhole
Chairmen of the All Progressives Congress from the 36 states and the FCT have declared support for Oshiomhole.
Spokesman for the Forum of State Chairmen and the Chairman of the party in Enugu State, Dr. Ben Nwoye, spoke on behalf of his colleagues in Abuja, after a meeting with the party’s NWC.
He said, “We discussed the issue of party unity and the need to move the country forward. We have all unanimously passed a vote of confidence in the national chairman and the NWC.
“So, any news making the round that our National Chairman is facing crisis should be brought to rest.
“We found out based on the meeting that the issues are without merit and that they were brought up to malign the National Chairman.
“You recall that the actual reports came out on a day that was supposed to be the happiest day for the party, the day of inauguration of the President for a second term.
“Anybody with genuine issues should have presented them at the appropriate time and through the right channel. So, it was with no other intent than to malign the President and bring us down.
“Nobody gave President Buhari any chance of winning his second chance even with all that he had done. This chairman did something that was almost impossible.
“The job of the national chairman was to prosecute the election and he did and we did the unthinkable and the President has been sworn in for a second term and we give credit to the chairman and the NWC.”
Shittu wants Oshiomole out
Meanwhile, the immediate past Minister of Communication, Adebayo Shittu, says it is the personality of President Muhammadu Buhari that is galvanising the ruling APC.
He said the ruling party might have problems in 2023 when the tenure of the President would come to an end.
Shittu,
who spoke with journalists in Abuja on Thursday, also said there were
instances to suggest that the National Chairman of the APC, Mr Adams
Oshiomhole was not capable of leading the ruling party.
Shittu
insisted that the APC would not retain power in 2023 if the former
governor of Edo State “is not removed” as the national chairman of the
ruling party.
He said “I am hard on Oshiomhole because he has come to destroy our party. How do you justify a chairman who came to power at a time we were in power and had 26 states? Now, we have lost about six states.
“With Oshiomhole, I don’t see us winning because a lot of people will be driven out of the party because he will continue with his injustice because a lot of things have been destroyed.”
On his NYSC certificate scandal, the former minister said his refusal to serve was not enough for him to have been disqualified.
He said there was nowhere in the Nigerian Constitution that said anyone contesting political office must have an NYSC certificate.
