*Says Oshiomhole Was A Great Leader Who Wanted The Best For APC…
*Blames Party Problems On Govs Eyeing 2023 Presidential Ticket…
By Gbenga Abulude (Politics and General Desk)
Immediate past National Vice-Chairman (North-Central) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Ahmed Wambai, has disclosed that some APC governors worked against the former National Chairman of the party, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, because of their ambition to run for 2023 presidential election.
According to Wambai, the governors saw Oshiomhole as a hindrance against realising their ambitions, hence, the plot against him despite the former Chairman meaning well for the party, he said.
Read also: Hot Exchange Between Oshiomhole, DG PGF Continues Unabatedly
In an interview with a national Newspaper, the party chieftain berated the manner in which some governors of the party acted against the National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC led by Oshiomhole.
He alleged they deceived President Muhammadu Buhari into taking him out of the chairmanship position.
Wambai who refused to name the governors involved said, “On several instances, they had wanted the Oshiomhole-led NWC to be dissolved but Mr President refused. But they used everything at their disposal in their desperation to sack us. We have left the party, let them run it, let them produce the president in 2023.”
He added that there would be problems if these same people come against a national leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, who has shown his interest in contesting for the position in 2023.
The former National Vice Chairman described Oshiomhole as a leader who wanted the best for the APC, noting that the APC governors ganged up to frustrate him out of office.
Read also: Fire Guts INEC Office In Akure, Destroys Over 5000 Card Readers
Wambai disclosed that the former national chairman on behalf of the party cash-backed the 2019 general elections in any states where APC has huge prospects to come out tops.
He said the national organs of the APC maintained its independence under Oshiomhole by not receiving money from governors to run the party.
“In the history of political parties, Oshiomhole remains the only chairman that governors did not contribute money to the party purse under him. No governor contributed to the running of the party under Oshiomhole. We did that so that the party could be independent.
“We never go cap in hand to any ministry for contract or patronages for the survival of the party. Oshiomhole was the only person that gave N20 million and N10 million contributions to all the senators and house of representatives candidates during the election.
“He was the only person that gave some governorship candidates of some states we desired to win like Imo, Kwara, Gombe and Zamfara N1 billion each, Benue, about N700 million. We did all these from the purse of the party. In the history of political parties, no one has done that. Ask me the source of the money, it was through the sale of our nomination forms. We deliberately raised the price of governorship nomination form to N22 million to reduce controversy, conflict and unnecessary competition.
“We wanted to stop some unserious persons from picking the form. We even refunded the money of those that lost the primaries. Oshiomhole has never been dictated to by Mr President, the governors or the Ministers. That is the ideal way a party should run as enshrined in the constitution of the party.”
