Director-General of Voice of Nigeria, VON and APC chieftain, Mr. Osita Okechukwu has revealed how the embattled APC chairman destroyed the party over what he described as “selfish interest”.
Mr. Okechukwu, stated this during an interview with TheSun Newspaper. According to the VON DG, Oshiomhole betrayed those who made him the party Chairman during the 2019 general election.
Below is an excerpt from the interview published by TheSun.
“I read the advertorial & I’m conversant with my leaders, I have great respect for them but no sincere APC member will deny the incontrovertible fact that Oshiomhole mismanaged our great party &unintentionally resurrected PDP, a political party which was on the verge of collapse in 2019 after serious internecine intra-party crisis.
“There is no doubt that his narcissism and dictatorial tendency cost APC several states including Adamawa, Bauchi, Rivers, Zamfara, FCT and some legislative seats in the Southeast. Recently we lost Bayelsa due to his recklessness.Otherwise who is a sane chairman that will allow a sitting senator to go for Deputy Governor? Or that will not diligently scrutinize the credentials ofcandidates ?
“Thirdly, he breached our great party’s constitution & even the rules he enacted himself, like the choice he placed on advertorial for states to choose either direct and indirect mode of primary. Some states like Enugu chose indirect and he reversed it arbitrarily in the midst of gubernatorial primary.
“Lagos also chose indirect primary and he went ahead contrary to the choice of Lagos State Stakeholders of APC to print ballot papers for direct primary. In fact, Comrade nearly shunted Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a man who made him governor and chairman. If not for his sagacity, of conducting the primary with his men, Asiwaju had almost lost Lagos to his estranged godson, former governor Ambode.
“He quickly brushed aside the Oshiomhole primary panel and took his fate in his hand. Please cross check this fact, for I stand to be contradicted.If he can betray Asiwaju, whoelse can he spare?
Speaking on why APC reclaimed Imo State at the Supreme Court despite PDP’s acclaimed victory after the 2019 election, Mr. Okechukwu said Oshiomhole did not play any part, rather APC won due to the sagacity of Governor Hope Uzodinma.
On the victory in Imo State, I would rather give the credit of our late recovery of Imo State, to Gov.Hope’s sagacity rather than Comrade Oshiomhole’s input. I was part of that battle. Let’s not forget that it was Oshiomhole who further compounded the Imo state problem for APC, from where Senator Rochas Okorocha stopped.
As far back as 2018, Oshiomhole has been creating serious problems for APC in Imo state. After the gruesome congress battle for the soul of APC in Imo State, the Senator Osita Izunaso’s faction won, before the gubernatorial primary. Then rumours started flying that Oshiomhole was going to cancel the congress.
Luckily I met him on July 12, 2018 at the launch of Abuja rail line and I pleaded with him not to cancel the primary but he told me he was going to do so, that then Governor Rochas was one of his key supporters for his chairman-ship bid.
I pleaded that the cancellation would be akin to giving monkey back cup of water snatched from him, but he remained adamant. Few days later he canceled the congress, hence the confusion that later followed. The rest they say is history. Oshiomhole created serious problems for APC.Asking him to go will bring a lot of relief to the party.
