A youth group in the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Progressives Youth Movement, has expressed concerns over the sincerity of the National Chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole, to the re-election of President MuhammaduBuhari in the 2019 presidential election.
The group in a statement released in Abuja and signed by its Chairman ,Mallam Usa Abdullahi and Secretary, Udo Akpandem, stated that some actions of the national chairman that tend to undermine the electoral chances of President Buhari have kept them worried about whether the chairman is working for the re-election of President Buhari or is a fifth columnists in the APC as alleged in some quarters.
“We view with concern the threat by Oshiomhole to report political parties other than the APC who are adopting and campaigning for President Buhari ahead of the 2019 elections.
The National Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole had been reported lately as condemning the adoption of President Buhari by political parties of former members of the party who then adopted President Buhari and campaigned for him alongside the campaign for their new parties’ candidates.
He threatened to report them to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for fraud.
The Progressives Movement in its statement stated that this posture of Oshiomhole casts doubt on his commitment to the success of President Buhari in the 2019 elections.
“We had expected that the National Chairman would be happy that other political parties are adopting President Buhari and campaigning for his re-election. It is illogical that a party chairman would be unhappy that other parties are campaigning for his presidential candidate.
“With his present stand, Oshiomhole is demonstrating that fighting his personal war against some perceived adversaries is more important to him than the successful election of President Buhari for a second term.
“We see a contrast in the stand of Oshiomhole and the posture of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which is encouraging members of other political parties through the platform of CUPP to adopt and campaign for its presidential candidate.
The group called on the National Executive Committee of the APC to convene and call Oshiomhole to order before the prosecution of his personal fight undermines the chances of the party in the 2019 elections.
“The National Chairman has been allowed to run the party in his own fashion for too long without caution and this is already affecting the perception of the party by well-meaning members of the public.We call on the National Executive Committee of the party to convene and call Comrade Oshiomhole to order before he does irreparable damage to the electoral fortunes of the party in 2019.
“The most important contest for the APC in 2019 and at all times is the presidential election. Our party cannot in the quest of the chairman to fight personal battles undermine its chances in the presidential election. We cannot afford to behave like the proverbial man who carried an elephant on his head and used his leg to hunt for ants. A stitch in time save nine”, the statement concluded.
