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Tag: Adams Oshiomhole

  • Don’t set our state on fire, Ogun APC tells Oshiomhole

    Ogun State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress(APC) on Tuesday night accused National Chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole, of being the problem of state chapter in his desperate bid to manipulate the gubernatorial primary in favour of a particular aspirant.
    Since Governor Ibikunle Amosun, allegedly, singlehandedly picked a serving Federal lawmaker, Hon. Abdulkabir Adekunle Akinlade, as the consensus candidate of the party for the 2019 governorship election in the state, the choice has thrown the Ogun APC into a turmoil following protestations by some party members and other aspirants who believed that Akinlade’s manner of emergence robbed them of an opportunity for a level playing ground.
    And hope that the matter will be resolved through direct primary dimmed as the planned governorship primary kept suffering series of postponements due to seemingly inadequate preparation, alleged security  and logistic challenges faced by the eight – man electoral Committee sent to the state by the National Working Committee (NWC) of APC.
    But in a live broadcast address on  Tuesday in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, the Secretary to the State Government, Taiwo Adeoluwa, said  Oshiomole is acting a carefully written script about Ogun ostensibly to reach an outcome that would be against the choice of the party.
    Adeoluwa however called on President Muhammadu Buhari and other well meaning leaders of the party to prevail on Oshiomole not  to set Ogun State on fire in desperation to return unnamed aspirant as party’s governorship flagbearer in the state .
    He  said the APC in the  state would not participate in any further primary until the NWC writes a letter indicating a definite date and an agreement on the mode of the primary.
    He said: “We have learnt on good authority that the national headquarters  of APC is determined and desperate to force a particular candidate on the people of Ogun state, we will be ready for them and we shall do nothing unlawful.
    “We have decided and that is what the leaders have asked me to tell the whole world that,  In Ogun state we shall not participate in any primary unless and until the National Working Committee  will specifically write to us on a date that will not shift and agree on the mode of primary.
    “We decline ballot paper because that is not their own guidelines. We can not smuggle into Ogun state, what has not been practised elsewhere. We don’t know why they are desperate to disturb the peace of Ogun state.
    “We hope that the whole of our country including well meaning people everywhere will help to beg Comrade Adams Oshiomole not to set Ogun state on fire.”

  • Imo primaries: APC disbands Gulak panel – Oshiomhole

    Describes result as fake

    The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole on Tuesday said that the party has disbanded the Ahmed Gulak-led Committee for the party’s governorship primaries in Imo State.
    According to him, the results being paraded as the result of the Imo governorship primaries were fake
    He spoke with State House correspondents after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
    Oshiomhole said that the party disbanded the Committee that was sent to the state to conduct the primaries and will set up another one immediately so that the process would be completed before the end of the week.

    Read Also: Why we disqualified Shittu, Mama Taraba – Oshiomhole

    He said that he came to brief the President on developments in the party.
    The APC National Chairman also disclosed that the National Working Committee (NWC) was in charge of the Lagos primaries and that every situation has been put under control.
    He ruled out the possibility of honouring parallel results from states.
    No matter how highly a member may be, he said, that he or she must subject himself to the Constitution of the party.

  • Why we disqualified Shittu, Mama Taraba – Oshiomhole

    …Says can’t preach discipline and habour without our core values

    …Lagos, Imo primaries now holds Monday

    National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has said that the party cannot continue to preach discipline and harbour people who conduct themselves in a way that suggest that they do not have those core values that should bind the political party together.

    Oshiomhole who spoke while inaugurating the committees for the various states governorship primaries challenged members of the various committees conducting the governorship primaries not to yield to pressure from any quarter, but to do their best to help the party improve internal democracy in the country.

    He also announced that the governorship primaries in Lagos and Imo will not go ahead on Sunday due to logistics reasons, adding that the party has shifted to primaries in the two states to Monday, October 1.

    He said “We have decided to postpone the election in Lagos to Monday even though it is public holiday, there is nothing in the law that says we cannot conduct our party affairs on the day of public holidays. So, Lagos and Imo States for now, the exercise will take place on Monday.

    “We are sure that we will be able to rectify logistic challenges between now and end of tomorrow. For those going to those States, please take note, otherwise… The secretariat will get to the committees through the chairmen, the documents and all the materials you need – be it ballot papers, result sheets that you will use for the election”.

    Oshiomhole who also explained the disqualification of two serving Ministers said that the time has come when the country must move away from paper qualifications in terms of who is eligible to contest political offices on the platform of the party

    He said: “If we must sustain this tradition, obviously we must begin to look beyond paper qualifications in terms of who is eligible to be fielded on the platform of our party.

    “It is in view of this and several other reasons that we found ourselves unable to clear otherwise two very eminent Nigerians who are members of our party, one a lady, one a man, which shows that we are balanced and sensitive because there are issues that might even be right in the eyes of the law but they are immoral and they are indecent in the eyes and in the minds of very ordinary, decent human beings.

    “Society is governed and sustained by rule of law. But the rule of law alone is not enough to guarantee peace and progress. If there are no values, no ethics, no commitment, no passion, which is why some criminals are walking freely because Senior Advocates are able to persuade their Lordships that there are no convincing reasons to jail them.

    “So, based on this commitment, we disqualified two eminent Nigerians and I am glad that we found the courage to do so. We cannot continue to preach discipline and harbour people who in our view conduct themselves in a way that suggest that they do not have those core values that should bind us together as a political party.”

    Read Also: Osun poll: Our deal with Omisore, by Oshiomhole

    While asking the committee members not to succumb to pressure from any quarters, Oshiomhole told them to always remember that we live in a society where people hardly accept defeat even though they are aware that somebody must emerge winner at the end of the day.

    He said “You are likely to come under pressure because we are in an environment in which nobody concede defeat and sometimes, those who win are not gracious enough to recognize that it does not have to be winner takes all. In genuine democracy, everybody is a winner because if you govern well, you govern for the good of the people, everybody will be better off.

    “The primary purpose of power is to use it to deliver on public welfare and public good. So, I plead with you to do your very best to try to strike a balance because we have all promised to do justice to all members of the party. So, do your very best so that at the end of the day, you will help us to deepen internal democracy.

    “So, stepping out on Sunday to conduct elections, you have duty to sustain the core values of the APC which is to ensure that we conduct transparent primaries. Our constitution which is the basis of the contract between members of the APC to vie for couple of offices and our National Executive Committee is adhered to.

    “We have decided to activate two of the options in our constitutions (direct and indirect). We have worked hard to provide some of the preconditions without which we can’t service internal democracy. As we speak, we have our membership register which has been distributed to the 36 states.

    “I believe that we have compelling reasons to conduct credible primaries across the country. The guidelines have been well articulated and we expect the Chairmen to provide leadership in all states where they have been deployed to.”

    Oshiomhole also announced that 177 aspirants bought nomination forms to contest the 29 vacancies available on the platform, saying “We have only 29 vacancies for governors and to fill these 29 vacancies, we have distinguished Nigerians, men and women, about 177 that applied.

    “This does not suggest any unusual level of political or executive unemployment. It just points to the level of interest, commitment, passion and above all the confidence that people have in the APC.

    “We have tried as much as we can to carry out a thorough screening exercise in way that will enable us to benefit from the recent things that have happened in our party and some of us believe that we can learn some positive lessons from there and reflect on the implications of such actions and reviewed the way in which we select people who contest elections on our platforms.

    “We have to work consciously to move our party from a mere public taxi that people who are politically stranded can board and when they get to their destinations, they pay fees if they are kind enough to pay or they just jump out of the car and then we wait for the next passenger.

    “We have to build a mass movement that is grounded in the hearts of the Nigerian people, membership-driven and to do that we must service our internal democracy.

    “We must move away from top-down approach to decision making and consciously working to encourage a bottom-top approach so that the ordinary Nigerian who is a member of our party will have a sense of ownership, involvement, participation and equation.”

    While inaugurating the Senator Abiola Ajimobi led National Convention Committee, Oshiomhole said the party wants to organize a national convention that will discuss the way forward for the country in addition to rectifying the Presidential candidate of the party.

    He said “this committee reflects the ray of the future with gender balance. We want to organize a convention that is different. We want a convention that goes beyond electioneering our where traders and praise singers have a field day and try to do what needs to be done and discuss the Nigeria agenda, issues of governance and development, issues of economic and social choices and let us disagree and agree within that convention in addition to confirming the presidential candidate and maybe amend any section of the constitution that we might want to.

    “We have barely one week to the convention and we appreciate the fact that you accepted to serve.

    Speaking on behalf of the convention committee, Senator Ajimobi assured the party that will lay a solid foundation for the party’s victory in 2019.

    He said “I thank you for giving us the opportunity to participate in laying the foundation for our 2019 electoral victory because if you see the quality of the foundation, you will know how the building will be.

    “The foundation you have laid today is so solid that I have no doubt that we will succeed in 2019. We assure you that we will not let you down and promise to do our best to ensure that we are partners in securing victory for our party in 2019.”

  • APC chieftain defects to PDP in Edo

    Chief David Olukoga, an aide to former Gov. Adams Oshiomhole, and Chairman, Edo State Traffic Management Agency (ESTMA), on Wednesday, formally defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

    Olukoga led several of his supporters, majority of who were youths, to the PDP Secretariat.

    They were received by Chief Dan Orbih, the party’s chairman as well as national executive members of the party.

    Addressing the gathering at the occasion, Olukoga said that he decided to return to the PDP after due consultation with his supporters.

    He also said that marginalisation as well as ethnic, regional and religious politics and impunity in the APC was a major reason for his leaving the party.

    “I return to the PDP with a clear conscience, because I believe the party has learnt from its past mistakes and now well repositioned and forward looking,’’ he said.

    He called on all Nigerians to join hands with the PDP and rescue the state in particular and the nation at large from maladministration of the ruling party.

    Read Also: Osun: Lasun, Omisore join forces with APC to fight PDP

    Earlier, Orbih said that he was happy to address the thousands of youths, who have decided to leave the APC for the PDP.

    He said that he was convinced that fundamental issues affecting the state were responsible for their defection.

    He said some of the issues include failed promises of job creation for 200,000 persons annually, as well as the failed N30 billion Water Storm project.

    The chairman said that the failed Water Storm project was also responsible for the disaster being experienced and flooding in some parts of the state capital.

    He, therefore, appealed to NEMA as well as the state government to urgently provide relief materials to flood victims within the state capital and environs.

    Orbih urged the state government to wake up and address the problems in the state as there was need for the government to take concrete action against problems affecting the state.

  • Edo APC holds emergency meeting on expelled party chieftain

    The All Progressives Congress in Edo State will on Tuesday hold an emergency meeting to deliberate on the expulsion of Deputy Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon Pally Iriase.

    Chairman of the APC in Owan East Local Government Area, Zuberu Shabah, had announced the expulsion of Iriase from the APC, over alleged anti-party activities.

    Zuberu in a letter addressed to National Chairman of the APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, explained that Iriase was expelled because executive members of the party in Iriase’s ward defected to the PDP.

    Speaking in a chat with newsmen, Vice Chairman of the APC in Edo North, Chief Sunny Okomayin, said the emergency meeting would declare the expulsion a nullity.

    Chief Okomayin said Iriase is a respected leader of the party, both at the state and national level and remained a bonafide member of the party.

    Okomayin stated that some party members had personal grudges with Iriase but they failed to consult with the sate party’s secretariat, if the party rule have been breached by the lawmaker.

    Read Also: Minimum wage strike looms as NLC puts workers on standby

    He explained that the ward or local government chapter of the party lacked the powers to expel a member of the NEC of the party.

    He said those responsible for the alleged expulsion would be sanctioned by the party.

    According to him, “We are quite surprised by the action of the persons responsible for this alleged expulsion of not only respected leader of the party, but a principal officer of the House of Representatives.

    “We have rules guiding every actions of members. If at all Iriase has breached any of the rules, it is only the National leadership of the party that can take disciplinary action against him, and not these people.

    “If not for mischief making, why wasn’t I, the Senatorial Vice Chairman of the party consulted on this?

    “As I speak, an emergency leadership meeting of the state chapter of the party have been called on Tuesday over this matter.“

  • Ex-presidential aide seeks dissolution of APC factions in Enugu

    A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Dennis Aghanya, has called on the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) to dissolve the two factions in Enugu State.

    Aghanya, a former media aide to President Muhammadu Buhari between 2009 and 2011 and Pioneer National Publicity Secretary of the defunct CPC, gave the advice in a letter to the National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, on Monday.

    He said in the letter made available to the News Agency of Nigeria in Enugu that the situation was threatening the fortunes of the party in the state.

    “The situation is currently threatening the fortunes of the party to the detriment of efforts by serious candidates who are investing time and finance to ensure victory for themselves and President Muhammadu  Buhari at the forthcoming 2019 general elections.

    “I suggest that the National Working Committee of the APC should as a matter of urgency dissolve the two factions led by Okey Ogbodo and Ben Nwoye respectively.

    “The NWC should set up a caretaker committee to be composed of neutral persons, possibly from neighbouring states in the South East to conduct primaries for aspirants at all levels, using Direct Primary method.

    Read Also: Ogun APC: Aspirant urges members to insist on direct primary

    “The caretaker committee should go further to conduct a fresh congress for the party after the primaries so that the party can go out in pursuant of votes as a united family.’’

    According to him, ignoring this advice will amount to deliberately weakening the party to the advantage of the incumbent in Enugu State.

    He said that it would also amount to deliberately sabotaging Buhari from making inroad into the South East.

    “These are all assumptions and can only be proved wrong if only the right thing is done by the national leadership of the party now.

    “Just few days ago the acting national publicity of the APC announced that party members should go to their states and use their temporary party cards to collect their original membership cards.

    “My question now is which faction these members will go to collect their membership cards from?’’

    He said that 99 per cent assertions that“a thing cannot be done is just the unwillingness to do it’’.

    “It does not take anything to dissolve these two factions and set up a caretaker committee to reunite the APC family in Enugu State,’’ he said.

  • Why i didn’t present NYSC certificate – Communication Minister

    Minister of Communication, Adebayo Shittu said on Friday that he never presented any NYSC discharge certificate during his screening by the National Assembly because he never had any, stressing that he has not breached any law by skipping national service.

    The Minister who spoke with newsmen at the private office of the National Chairman of the APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole where the screening of governorship aspirants is taking place said his case of not having a discharge certificate was different from that of former Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun.

    Shittu acknowledged that he never went for the mandatory national youth service after his graduation from the Nigeria Law School in 1979, adding that he simply followed the law and considered his election into the State house of Assembly as part of national service.

    He said: “Nigerian Tribune even reported that I left university in 1979 but in actual sense , I left in 1978 and left law school in 1979 and the constitution says anyone who qualifies to contest an election or who has gone through an election and wins, he is obligated to move through the house of assembly which I did for four years, so it is a form of higher service as far as I’m concerned and even now, I am still in service.”

    Read Also: Certificate scandal: Court dismisses case against Adeleke

    Asked whether he not violated any law by not going for national service, he said “I don’t see and I’m not worried. Do you see any worry on my face? I don’t think I’m have infringed any law except someone has a superior argument and prove it.

    Speaking on Kemi Adeosun, he said “there are walls of difference. Unfortunately, Kemi had a fake certificate, I didn’t present any, I didn’t have one. I simply followed the constitutional requirement that if you are qualified to contest an election, it is compulsory for you to serve the nation in the capacity that you won an election”.

    An online newspaper, Premium Times has reported that the Minister did not present himself for service after graduation and is yet to do so till date.

  • APC may adopt direct primaries in Imo – Oshiomhole

    National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has said that the party may use the direct primary option for the conduct of its governorship primary in Imo state in other to avoid litigation that may affect the chances of the candidates of the party in the general election.

    Oshiomhole who spoke at a peace meeting between for leaders of the party in the state told all aspirants in the state to go and test their popularity with the people since they all  believe in their popularity.

    Speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly, Hon. Acho Ihim led the governor’s group while Senator Uzodinma led the other group.

    The APC chairman appealed to the state Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha to cede part of the leadership of the party in the state to the Senator Hope Nzodinma led faction of rye party in the interest of lasting peace in the state.

    Oshiomhole told the Okorocha faction to take 55 percent of the party structure in the state while the other group led by Senator Hope Uzodinma takes 45 per cent so as to achieve lasting peace in the Imo APC.

    While acknowledging the leadership of the governor in the state, the APC Chairman said “I will not allow any body to take him for granted or rubbish his personality”.

    The APC Chairman, who described the first congresses held in Imo State as a fraud, stressed the need for the warring members to sheath their sword in the interest of the party.

    Read Also: APC governors insist on indirect primaries

    He said “the essence of this meeting is to seek equity and justice. I respect Governor Rochas because he is one governor that fought to ensure we have APC in Imo State. But now more people are joining the party, the House has gotten bigger, we need peace in Imo state and I am urging you people to reconcile and harmonize.

    “I suggested a formula to the Governor. It is not right that under my watch a faction of our members are wiped out. If we don’t work together it will weaken our party and that is why I am suggesting 55 per cent to the Governor’s group and 45 per cent to Senator Uzodinma’s group. Some people are speaking law but I want to win election in Imo State not court cases.

    “That is why we have chosen not to talk about the law but coexistence. Court don’t give peace they give judgment. We should talk less about power and talk more of peace. Everybody matters in this business. It can be dangerous to take one for granted.

    “Don’t ever take one another for granted on the day of election and any one of us who have not learnt on former President Jonathan’s mistake is not a politician. So we must all swallow our pride and embrace peace for the sake of the party”

  • Zoning: APC group threatens to vote PDP in C/River

    Some stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Cross River State have threatened to vote for the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in next year’s election.

    The stakeholders who spoke through a group, the Cross River North Solidarity Forum (CRNSF), said they would vote against their party if the governorship ticket of the party which was zoned to the area in 2014 is not retained.

    In a statement issued in Calabar by the group’s spokesman, Joseph Ogah, they said that the President Muhammadu Buhari led government has not been fair to members of the party from the zone in terms of appointment and will resist any move by “corrupt people who just defected to the party to hijack the ticket from the north.”

    The group said that if the APC does not want people from the northern senatorial district of the state in the party, they would not hesitate to seek their political fortune elsewhere where every zone will be treated equally.

    They questioned why zoning was observed in the recently held congresses from ward to national but some “greedy and self-seeking intruders are going about planning to take what was zoned to the north in 2014.”

    The statement read, “The message we have to pass in this press statement is simple; we will vote the PDP massively if the governorship ticket is given to another senatorial district.

    Read Also: 2019: Imo APC backs Oshiomhole, Buhari

    “In 2014, party positions were zoned and the governorship ticket was zoned to the north. Odey Ochicha from the north was APC governorship candidate and he came second in that election. It was because of Ochicha’s effort that President Buhari had up to 28,000 votes, the highest votes an opposition party ever had in the state. He went to every corner of the state with his personal resources campaigning for himself and Buhari. The then party Chairman who is today eating large as the Niger Delta Minister never followed him for once to any campaign nor released funds for campaign.

    “Many of us used our money to work for APC but when the party won, the zone was completed neglected. No reasonable appointment was given to the north despite the numerous juicy appointments that came to the state.

    “The central alone got Minister of Niger Delta, NDDC Chairman, Career Ambassador, SA on Prosecution to the President, Auditor General etc. The South has the Head of Service, Ambassador, NDDC Commissioner, DG, National Centre for Women Development and many others. The north was left with nothing. Even the governorship candidate who sacrificed so much for the party in 2015 was not given anything reasonable.

    “Are we less a senatorial district to others? Sir John Ochala was Acting Chairman after the former Chairman was appointed Chairman, the central fought that he must relinquish power to them or nothing. There was a mini Congress where a substantive chairman was elected from the central in line with the zoning arrangement. But today, the same people that said the north cannot keep state chairman and governorship ticket have turned back to fight that central should that has the state Chairman should produce governorship candidate.

    “The national chairman of APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and other National Working Commitee members are product of zoning. Nobody from the north contested against Ntufam Hilliard Eta, the National Vice Chairman (South South) because the position was zoned to the southern senatorial district. Nobody from the north contested against Dr. Achigbe because the state Chairmanship position was zoned to the central. So why are people struggling what was zoned to the north now? Are we slaves in APC?”

    “If APC is ready to win Cross River State, aspirants from other zones must jettison their selfish interest to allow the north field a candidate. Failure to do this will mark doom for APC as the PDP will have 100% support in the north in all positions.

    “We also want to advice some APC leaders who have collected money from aspirants sponsored by PDP to sell out to tread with caution as a day of reckoning is just by the corner.

    “Those who last year were shouting that the north must do eight years like others but are now saying different things because of the bribes they have collected should trade with caution. APC must avoid another Governor Ortom and Saraki experience in Cross River State. Some aspirants are only in APC because they want a platform to achieve their desperate political ambition after which they will destroy the party and return to PDP. APC must be careful.”

  • 2019: APC governors insist on indirect primaries

    …few states adopt direct primaries

     

    Governors of the All Progressives Congress ( APC ) appeared to have had their way regarding the mode of primary to adopt for the conduct of party primaries across the country as they rose from their meeting on Wednesday night insisting on using both direct and indirect option in the various states.

    The meeting of the governors under the Progressive Governors Forum was attended by the National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole of the party and the Ekiti state governor elect, Kayode Fayemi.

    Addressing newsmen after the meeting, Imo state governor and Chairman of the Progressives Governors Forum, Owelle Rochas Okorocha said the governors decided to adopt both option, with majority of the states going for the indirect option.

    Even though he did not name the states going for the indirect option, Okorocha said the governors resolved to work for the success of the party before, during and after the primary and also work to ensure victory for the party during the general election.

    He said “We just held a meeting with the Chairman and we’ve resolved that in support of the party that we are going to have free and fair primaries. Everybody will be given equal chance to participate in the primaries which will be transparent, free and fair.

    “We have adopted both direct and indirect and most of the states are going for indirect primaries, but for the president it is going to be direct primaries. So we have all resolved and to assure Nigerians that we are ready for the primaries and we are ready for the main election as decided by NEC and we are sure that come 2019 APC shall have the victory. We are calling on all our supporters to support the party.

    “The 22 governors and the National Working Committee are working together and we have resolved to make sure that we get victory for the party come 2019.”

    Asked how the governors intend to handle the deluge of complain from their states especially those who want direct primary, he said “the NEC made it clear that the parties will decide at every state level what they want, either direct or indirect primaries.

    “Normally you would know that our party is even a peaceful party. It is the most peaceful party in Nigeria right now where there are no schemishes and scuffles. If you are looking at other parties, you would know there is no party at all. So these minor complains here and there is expected because even in a family you have it.

    “The NEC have declared that we are going to have direct and indirect primaries and the party at the state level will decide what type of primary to adopt.”

    Contributing, Kaduna state Governor, Mallam Nasir EL-Rufai there was no way every member of the party will agree to one thing, pointing out that the decision on which option to adopt in accordance with NEC decision is to be based on majority decision.

    He said: “There is no way one hundred percent of the party will agree to one thing. There will always be some that will disagree but the decision of NEC is that the majority of the state Executive Committee decided on the mode of primaries.

    “And the Kaduna state that you mentioned which I’m the Governor by the grace of God, the majority of the State Executive Committee decided on indirect primaries. If one or two members don’t agree, that’s off that is not the decision of NEC.”

    Apparently bowing to pressure, National Chairman of the party, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole said the task before the leadership of the party was to ensure the conduct of a credible primary that will be free, fair and transparent.

    Oshiomhole said “I think my task and the task of the party is clear. We have a tradition as a progressive party to submit ourselves to the dictates of our party and we believe in internal democracy because we are democrats and democracy must begin from within the house before we can do it outside.

    “We are committed to transparent primaries and will ensure that everyone who has interest in our party and we are happy at the level of enthusiasm measured by the number of persons who have applied for various positions from House of Assembly up shows a huge number of Nigerians still prefer the All Progressives Congress as the more credible platform of which to contest.

    “Our task is very simple, obey the rules of the party, obey the rules of fairness, obey the rules of natural justice and that is what we mean when we talk about free and fair primaries.

    “Number two, we have spoken to this before, it is not a new decision that our constitution consciously provided for flexibility to reflect the diversity of our great country and also to try to give expression to the entire essence of federalism which allows different states to look at their own situation and advice the NWC as to what works better for them provided that in all cases the process is democratic, the rules are fair, the officiating officials are impartial.

    “All of us, Governors, NWC and even President, we all agreed that this is the way to go and that is what we are going to do.

    Speaking on Lagos state governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, Oshiomhole said “the attempt to say an embattled Governor, there is no APC Governor that is embattled and because we are democratic, the best way to measure democracy is the presence of more than one person showing interest in an office.

    “That does not make any other person embattled. But of course the media can create this impression that there is an earthquake in Lagos, there is no earthquake.

    “At every level I have seen people claiming that in one or two offices there was no opposition. In every other office we have more than one candidate expressing interest. Those people who are currently occupying those positions are not by reasons of those new expressions of interests embattled.

    “Three, to say that you have never seen Lagos State Governor in our meetings is to the extent that your lens is blurred. My records and minutes of our meetings will show the participation of Lagos State Governor in all the meetings in which he has been invited. But like some other Governors, some meetings have coincided with some other activities.

    “There is no Governor including my humble self when I was a Governor I didn’t manage to achieve 100 percent attendance. Even in parliament, there are minimum requirements so I don’t think it is fair to suggest that you have seen somebody here because of anything.

    “I think our party in Lagos is at peace, there are conversations going on at the ward level across the 8,500 wards or there about across the country conversations are going on within the APC family. Conversations are going on in each of the 774 Local Governments across the country.

    “Our party members are negotiating, they are persuading, they are doing compromises, and they are competing, because we are progressing. Across the 36 states our party activity is at its peak and that is how it is even at the centre. So it will be unfair for anyone out of his own prejudice to label anyone as embattled or being pressured. Everyone has been active.”