The Coalition of 2019 APC Presidential Aspirants has described the embattled National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, as cancer plaguing the party, asking him to resign or the party will risk disgrace come 2019.
The threat was issued in a statement signed by Dr SKC Ogbonnia and Alh Mumakai Unagha on behalf of the Coalition of 2019 APC Presidential Aspirants, which was made available to Tribune Online on Monday in Warri, Delta State.
The coalition has earlier called for the removal of the former labour leader for his alleged ignoble role in the current crisis subsisting in the party.
The group, however, said rather than finding a way to calm fray nerves, Oshiomhole rather went ahead to issue a statement alleging a gang up against him in his subtle way to intimidate and harass his traducers.
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“Unfortunately, however, instead of seeking peace and assuaging hurt feelings from the primaries, which left the party in crisis, Oshiomhole has resorted to the intimation, blackmail, and slander.
“If he is not using the name of President Muhammadu Buhari to blackmail governors serving under the platform of the party, Oshiomhole is busy throwing tantrums at aggrieved erstwhile aspirants and other party stakeholders,” the group averred.
The aggrieved APC aspirants, therefore, concluded that the former Edo State governor had become cancerous that’s endangering the survival of the party.
The coalition handed a vote of no confidence and called the APC chairman to honourably resign or be disgraced out of office.
It also warned that if Oshiomhole declined to bow out, the party will suffer disgrace, especially President Muhammadu Buhari, in the coming 2019 general elections.
“By all indications, Oshiomhole has become a visible cancerous tumour to our great party, and the earlier we cut it off; the better for the party and Nigeria.
“The former union activist is attacking all cells and veins of the party. By his press statement yesterday, October 21, 2018, he admitted a gang-up against him from across the country, whatever that means.
“But Oshiomhole ought to understand that a broad-based gang-up among party faithful and stakeholders against the party chairman signifies a vote of no confidence.
“We, the coalition of Aspirants under the All Progressive Congress (APC), wish to states here that the party has already passed a vote of no confidence on the National Chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole, therefore, he should resign honourably.
“We maintain that the party risk disgraces, losing the presidential election should Oshiomhole remain as the National Chairman of the party.
“For every obvious reason, the level of division in the party as a clear testimony that the party cannot survive except the chairman resigns.
“Even if the party would rig the election in the 2019 general election which of course not, with the various factions and divisions created by the chairman, they are the pointer to the failure of the party.
“Suffice us to mention here that the chairman has not only projected APC as an enemy of Nigerian Youths, he also brought the party into disrepute with his frequent outbursts.
“He deliberately created a loophole for possible litigation when he refused officials of the Independents National Electoral Commission (INEC), to supervised or monitored the recent direct presidential primaries election which he knew, electoral requirement during primaries.
“The prohibitive nomination fee was another ploy to arm-twist the anti-corruption crusade of the Mr President and not to fund the 2019 general elections as being speculated,” the group noted.
The group further disclosed that after wide consultations among party stakeholders, it has resolved that President Buhari should call an emergency meeting of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) to pass a vote of no confidence on Comrade Oshiomhole and relieve him of his position while an acting chairman should immediately be appointed.
The NEC, the group added, should appoint a committee to review cases where Oshiomhole imposed candidates and refund the exorbitant fees to the aspirants who were denied free and fair participation in the primaries, maintaining that Oshiomhole should be compelled to fully account for all revenues accrued to the party since he resumed office in June 2018.
