APC Crisis: Oshiomhole speaks on NWC dissolution

Former National Chairman, All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Adams Oshiomhole, says he accepted the decision of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) that dissolved the National Working Committee (NWC) in good faith.

Oshiomhole made the declaration at a news conference in Abuja on Saturday.

He said that he would not question either the legality or otherwise of the NEC’s decision because the President was behind his emergence as the party’s National Chairman.

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The News Agency of Nigeria, (NAN) recalls that President Buhari and the NEC had on Thursday dissolved the NWC and constituted caretaker/extra-ordinary convention planning committee headed by Gov. Mai Mala Buni of Yobe, to reset the party.

Oshiomhole said: “I thought that it is important that I formally react to the recent events as it affects our party.

“We are all aware that on Thursday, a special NEC meeting was called and was attended by Mr President, governors, APC leadership of the two chambers of the National Assembly and some other leaders of our party.

“At the end of the meeting, the National Working Committee was dissolved and accordingly, I cease to be the chairman of the All Progressives Congress’’.

According to him, the APC under his chairmanship has done its best and the results are there.

“Of course, we have now been dissolved and I have accepted that dissolution in good fate.

“I’m not going into the question of legality or illegality.

“The bottom line is that the President, who invited me to lead the party and who mobilised all the support for my emergence as chairman, also presided over the meeting where the NWC has now been dissolved.’’

Oshiomhole recalled that President graciously invited him to run for the office of chairmanship of the party in 2018.

He added that the President had directed him to reform the party.

“You know that reforms are challenging and it will entail taking difficult decisions.

“Mine has been a life of trouble and I accepted this,’’ he said.

The former chairman listed his achievements as an overwhelming victory achieved in 2019 general elections as the party recorded better results in Presidential election in 2019 than 2015 poll.

He said that the party won governorship elections in the two opposition states; Kwara and Gombe.

“I believe I did my best because the 2019 elections have come and gone.

“Thanks to Nigerian people, our president had more votes in 2019 than we had in 2015.

“We have more members in the Senate and House of Representatives.

“Unlike in 2015, we were not able to manage our victory in the two chambers such that we had an APC President in the Senate and PDP Deputy Senate President.

“This time we were working hard with my colleagues in the NWC and in consultation with leaders of our party across the board, we have the kind of unity expected in the governing party in the two chambers of the National Assembly.

“I’m happy that the leadership of the National Assembly is working harmoniously with Mr President,’’ Oshiomhole said. (NAN)