Oshiomhole takes oath as new APC National Chairman, says APC has achieved more than any party since 1999

*Oshiomhole should whip lawmakers, others to obeying Party – Respondent

*Says it’s time to pardon Saraki and move forward as stronger party

*The National Interest Group weighs pardon, punishment options for Saraki, Dogara

The immediate past Governor of Edo State, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, has taken his oath of office as the newly elected National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Oshiomhole, who was affirmed as the National Chairman of the party unopposed on Saturday, was sworn in on Sunday by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mallam Abubakar Malami (SAN).

Ahead of his inauguration, the National Working Committee and National Executive Committee of the party were dissolved to make way for the new leadership.

It was a long wait for his inauguration as the National Convention dragged on deep into a second day.

Oshiomhole, who is also a former President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), replaces Chief John Odigie-Oyegun who became National Chairman in 2014 and led the party into the 2015 general elections.

The former labour leader, however, has his work cut out for him as the party has battled internal crisis for as long as its age in government since the inauguration of its legislators in June 2015.

The crisis however further escalated as members of the party in some states are unable to see eye to eye and the internal divisions were evident during the ward and state congresses leading up to the national convention with parallel congresses held in some states.

The national convention was not spared of the dispute and divisions threatened to derail it at some point.

Despite heavy security presence at the Eagles Square in Abuja where the exercise took place, delegates from Imo and Delta became engaged in a free for all while President Muhammadu Buhari was addressing the convention.

Their dispute was, however, not as a result of the President speech.

Rather, it was about old divisions among them worsened by disagreement over who to vote for.

The Imo delegates were allegedly divided with a group supporting the state governor and a second group supporting his deputy.

The situation in Delta is also reportedly due to conflicting loyalties.

Work to be done – The National Interest Group

In February, President Buhari had appointed the national leader of the party, Bola Tinubu, to lead reconciliatory efforts in the party.

The task of settling internal crisis and uniting the party will be one of the first challenges for the new National Chairman.

While that was on, a respondent, who spoke from Lagos applauding the election of Oshiomhole, said the job ahead is not tasking but demands focus and sincere spirit of forgiveness and commitment on the part of all.

He spoke just as a social media group, The National Interest, concluded a discourse on Sunday bothering on possibility of APC and Federal Government pardoning the Senate President Abubakar Bukola Saraki and Speaker of the House of Representatives Yakubu Dogara as, according to discourse, Allah loves forgivers.

Moving the motion for the legislature’s leadership pardon on Sunday was Prince Ade, a fiery social media activist, said, “I am of opinion we should wade into the Saraki/Dogara crisis against the APC Government and appeal to all Nigerians to let us pardon them on condition that they too must agree to stop sabotaging our process of better society.

“This is because Allah loves him who seeks forgiveness, changes from bad to good and him that forgives fellow human beings.  It is important because I begin to pity Saraki especially the way he looks these days.  His problem is ambition to become President and his PDP (Secondus-led and Baraje-led) are making the ambition worse for him.

“They want us to believe that Obasanjo coalition will save them by taking power out of Buhari’s hands without knowing that Obasanjo himself is a doom to himself already.  Saraki is respected in Kwara and Kwarans will have no problem with him if he can stop bad politics and tread the path of peace with Government for the good of Nigeria.

“Politicians are evil but if we can make peace among them, Nigeria the better for it.  If you agree say “Aye”…If no say “Nay””, Prince Ade concluded his motion.

Responding, Mr. Yinka Aderoju an educationist, who spoke from Abuja through the platform on Sunday, agreed with the call for pardoning of the lawmaking leaders but with a proviso.

He said, “Reconciliation, forgiveness, comradeship, etc.  All are good but should not be at the expense of justice and fairness.  Either as Muslims or Christians we have to make that our watchword.  If some of those infractions ascribed to him were indeed done by him, it is only fair that he should be allowed to answer to them.”

Aderoju continued, “Albeit this does not preclude any reconciliation moves from or by any quarters.  Once we have strong institution, our system can also work.  What build strong institutions is when everyone concerned decide to follow the laid down rules, i.e. our constitution, above and beyond any other consideration.

“The Asian tigers became strong when they started to do that.  China does not support either Christianity or Islam, but you cannot do any of those ascribed to Saraki and get away with it.

“Reconciliation, forgiveness, cooperation etc are all good.  But while going about, let us just ask ourselves if we are fair and just. Were it to be somebody else, would we have done the same?” He asked.

Another debater, who contributed during the debate, is a Lagos-based educationist, simply identified as Oyetunji.

Conceding to Aderoju’s contribution, Oyetunji said, “God bless you for this submission” meaning that, “yes, Saraki and other straying members of the governing party can be pardoned but it must be at the expense of the law.”

What The National Interest Group has done for the Adams Oshiomhole’s new National Working Committee of APC is to have an idea of what is on ground for it to shape its plans for improving on the existing protocol.

…APC has achieved more than any political party since 1999 – Oshiomhole

As the All Progressives Congress (APC) concludes its national convention, the newly elected chairman of the party Comrade Adams Oshiomole has stated that the former chairman of the party Chief Odiege Oyegun has succeeded in completing his tenure as the chairman of the party unlike the other party (PDP) whose chairmen never finished their tenure.

“They had fourteen National Chairmen in sixteen years of their rule,” he added.

He extolled the virtues of Chief Oyegun whom he said piloted the party to victory.

Oshiomole disclosed that there is no time to waste, assuring that he will resume in his office by 8am on Monday.

The new chairman promised to bring all members on board by holding summits where issues concerning the party will be discussed.

“This is a progress which must continue and we will resolve all our differrences”

“We will do all possible to reposition the party ahead of 2019 general election,” he said.