Some members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) members on Tuesday besieged the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja, expressing support for Adams Oshiomhole, the party’s National Chairman, President Muhammadu Buhari, and former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The protesters, under the auspices of Federation of Buhari Support Group (FBSG), came in several buses.
Alhaji Ibrahim Sikiru, who led the group, accused governors Rotimi Akeredolu, Ondo; Kayode Fayemi, Ekiti; Nasir El-Rufai, Kaduna; Ibikunle Amosun, Ogun; and Jibrilla Bindow of Adamawa State among others of championing the battle against Comrade Oshiomhole-led APC National Working Committee (NWC).
Sikiru said the protest was meant to expose the conservative APC governors bent on frustrating the Oshiomhole-led NWC and jeopardise President Buhari’s re-election bid, stating that the President might lose 2019 presidential elections in the affected states.
“As it is in Ondo State, President Buhari cannot get 10% votes comes 2019 general elections due to demarketing policies of Gov. Akeredolu. This accidental Governor, instead of focussing on projects that will better the lots of good people of Ondo State, he is busy running from North to South collecting signatures of governors and party chairmen of various states to pass vote-of-no-confidence on Adams Oshiomhole.
“Moreso, Gov Akeredolu is not contesting for any election this time around. It has clearly shown that Governor Akeredolu does not care in the success or victories of APC in all elections come 2019.
“It was gathered at the weekend, that the sudden death of tenure elongation for their preferred man and former chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, and consequent emergence of Comrade Oshiomhole as national chairman to restructure the party toward the path of ethics and responsibility is their major headache since all these governors, most especially the gang leader, Gov Akeredolu was a beneficiary of Odigie-Oyegun’s style of impunity and lawlessness when he was the National Chairman.
“We believe in the leadership of the party ably led by Adams Oshiomhole and his determination to position the party for landslide victory in the forth coming elections.
“Our party is greater than any individual or group, so let us come together and face our common goal or remaining the most efficient and trusted party in our clime. Together we can make this happen.”
Similarly, some APC women aspirants on Tuesday protested against alleged marginalisation in the just concluded primary elections nationwide.
One of the aspirants from Imo State, Milicent Duru, who spoke on behalf of others, threatened that women would boycott 2019 elections if their grievances were not addressed during the protest at the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja.
“So far, what we have in APC now is about 0.5% from statistics. So, to us it’s a scam and it’s not as if we do not have the capacity or we did not buy nomination forms. We bought the forms; we paid half of the money compared to other parties, which does not charge women for anything.
“So, we paid good money, but to our surprise, we are wondering why we should not be included in the affairs of the country when we are the best, when we are the main people that will bring out people to vote in the 2019 election. If this continues, it shows we are going to boycott 2019 election. That is exactly why we are protesting today,” Duru also said.
