..Shuaibu returns to NEC, says Obaseki remains APC’s best option in Edo
SINCE
June 23, 2018 when he became the National Chairman of the All
Progressives Congress, APC, Tuesday, March 17, 2020 was a day that
Comrade Adams Oshiomhole will not forget in a hurry.
It was a day
that his traducers would have removed him as chairman of the ruling
party via a National Executive Committee, NEC, meeting that he would not
attend on account of his suspension as APC chairman by a Federal
Capital Territory, FCT, Federal High Court.
However, a day to the
controversial NEC meeting called by the Acting National Secretary,
Chief Victor Giadom, who laid claim to the mantle of acting chairman,
Oshiomhole was handed a lifeline by two events.
First, President
Muhammadu Buhari, on the advice of bickering APC governors postponed the
NEC meeting indefinitely. And secondly, the Court of Appeal ordered
stay of execution of Oshiomhole’s suspension.
Thus, on the day he
was to have been sacked, Oshiomhole returned to the saddle and
superintended a National Working Committee, NWC, meeting where he
acknowledged his mistakes, sued for peace and extended the olive branch
to aggrieved leaders of the party, who were after his political jugular.
The horse-trading Vanguard
gathered, yesterday, that the reprieve did not come to Oshiomhole on a
platter. It came after intense horse-trading by major stakeholders
moderated by the Presidency.
To retain his seat, Oshiomhole,
Vanguard gathered, was handed some conditions to meet. His traducers
were also handed conditions to fulfil in the overall interest of the
party.
An inside source, who was privy to the high-wire deals
told Vanguard: ‘’You can see that at the NWC meeting, Oshiomhole toned
down his combative posture and made conciliatory moves. That was one of
the things he was asked to do. He was asked to hands-off Edo, stop
harassing northern leaders, and stop his high-handedness. The presidency
gave him tasks.’’
Asked if the anti-Oshiomhole forces are ready
to sheathe their sword against Oshiomhole as agreed, the source said:
‘’The presidency gave him tasks. We are going along the line of what the
presidency directed. No one likes wahala (trouble).’’
Asked if
they would withdraw the avalanche of litigations as Oshiomhole told
journalists they had agreed after the NWC meeting on Tuesday, the source
added: ‘’The direction of the presidency is where we are going. We will
withdraw the cases in court.’’
Out of court settlement
Speaking
with journalists after the NWC meeting Oshiomhole stated that the NWC
had resolved to withdraw all cases from the courts.
“We have also
resolved that we are going to withdraw all cases in court that any
member of the NWC is involved in so that we must lead by example and we
have shown that we are capable of managing ourselves and therefore we do
not need the court to help us resolve what we are capable of
resolving.”
Lifting of suspensions
Oshiomhole also announced that the NWC has lifted the suspension it slammed on some of its members.
“People
had issues which they felt strongly about, and as a result, the NWC
took some decisions which affected my friend and brother, Senator Lawal
Shuaibu, Deputy National Chairman, North. The NWC had a reason for
suspending him as at then. Today, we have reviewed the situation and we
believe that in the spirit of our renewed commitment to building unity
and true reconciliation, we as leaders of the party elected at the
convention should live by example. And that means for those we think
have offended the system, we have chosen to lift their suspensions. Sen.
Lawal Shuaibu can resume his duties as Deputy National Chairman, North.
“We
also reviewed the matter of Inuwa Abdulkadir, National Vice Chairman
Northwest. By the same spirit, the NWC was unanimous in lifting the
suspension and he resumes work with immediate effect. So, with these two
decisions, the two members of the NWC who were suspended, their
suspensions have now been lifted”, he said.
Pleads for forgiveness
“I
have asked everyone and they have accepted, whatever they considered to
be my own shortcomings, I have asked for forgiveness and they have
forgiven and whatever I considered to be anyone’s shortcoming that
irritated me, I have also forgiven. This is the way it should be. It can
only be abnormal if people know how to fight and they do not know how
to settle”, he added.
Shuaibu returns to NEC, says Obaseki remains APC’s best option in Edo
As
part of the peace deal, APC Deputy National Chairman, North, Senator
Lawal Shuaibu, yesterday, returned to the party after the NWC lifted his
suspension.
Addressing journalists at the national secretariat,
Shuaibu who arrived at about 3:20pm said for the party to make a headway
in the forthcoming governorship election in Edo State, the incumbent
governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki remained its best bet.
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