•To reward 57 loyal senators State congresses fraudulent, says Oshiomhole
Onyebuchi Ezigbo in abuja For the third time, the All
Progressives Congress (APC) has shifted its presidential primary.
Also ahead of the primaries of the ruling party, the National Chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole, has declared that the party leadership will compensate its senators who remained loyal to the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration
Oshiomhole has also alleged that the party congresses conducted in many of the states were fraudulent and posed a challenge to the party’s leadership.
In a statement issued by the acting National Publicity Secretary APC, Yekini Nabene, the party said the primary would now hold on Friday, September, 28, 2018.
“In view of the Osun State governorship rerun election which has been scheduled for Thursday, September 27, 2018, by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the APC has now rescheduled the presidential primary election to Friday, September 28, 2018.
“This is to avoid a clash in dates with the Osun State Governorship rerun election and enable all registered party members in all thirty-six states of the federation,
including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) participate in the exercise,” the party explained.
Meanwhile, the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party held a meeting yesterday to consider the outcome of the screening exercise meant to qualify aspirants for primary elections. The leadership meeting is expected to come up with approved guidelines for the conduct of the primaries across the country.
Meanwhile, Oshiomhole, has declared that the party leadership will compensate its senators who remained loyal to the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration.
On the other hand, Oshiomhole said APC will try to avoid fielding candidates he described as opportunists, who are seeking to use the platform of the party to achieve their selfish interest.
He said since assuming office, the NWC had been addressing issues arising from the last congresses of the party which he described as fraudulent.
In a statement issued yesterday by Oshiomhole’s Chief Press Secretary, Simon Ebegbulem, the APC said it would be ungodly for the party to abandon its members who stood by the party.
Oshiomhole noted, “As we
speak, I am proud that we have 57 senators who have refused to be induced or misled or otherwise manipulated into moving to other parties or reward for juicy positions.”
He said by deciding to remain in the party even with all the intimidation they have suffered, “It will be ungodly for us as a party not to reward those who believe in the party and the government of the day led by President Muhammadu Buhari.
“We will try as much as we can to have stability in the National Assembly,” he said.
Oshiomhole stated this while addressing members of the screening committee of the party.
Oshiomhole who was referring to the defection of the Senate President Bukola Saraki and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara to the PDP, said the party had learnt from the mistake of the past where people he described as bread and butter politicians were given tickets of the party.
Oshiomhole lamented that since assumption of office, the NWC had been tackling issues arising from the last congresses of the party which he described as fraudulent.
He assured that the party will correct the mistakes of the past and confront the opposition come 2019.
His words: “In many of the states we had challenges arising from the way congresses were conducted, many of them were quite fraudulent, that has been the challenge we have been trying to resolve since we came.
“Screening of aspirants is not a formality that is why we tried to search for men and women of integrity who cannot be compromised. We do not want to field opportunists who are simply seeking a political vehicle for some selfish purposes.
“What has happened in recent past is enough for us to begin to look at the character of those who are seeking office in the APC platform.”
He assured that the party will select people who have the intellectual capacity to articulate issues on the basis at which laws and bills are considered and those who have capacity to carry out oversight functions to ensure that Nigerians get value for money.
He added, “For us as a party, we have chosen to learn from the positive lessons from this development so that we do not repeat those mistakes by selecting people who as far as human capacity is we can assess and predict that if elected they will remain faithful not only to our party but more importantly to the country.
