The Director-General of the Progressive Governors Forum, Salihu Lukman, has lashed out at the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, and other leaders of the party of failing to discharge their responsibilities, stating that the party chairman must not enforce his inconsiderate of options attitude in the forthcoming Kogi, Edo governorship elections.
In a letter dated August 6 and titled, “APC: Appeal for Reconciliation,” and addressed to Oshiomhole, Lukman queried why superior organs of the party had not been meeting and also questioned the capacity of the former Edo governor to lead the ruling party.
The APC Governors Forum Director-General cited the losses of the party in the just concluded General Elections in some states, the suspension of some key members, and the possibility of defeat in the coming elections in some states.
He said: “We had challenges that deprived our party the opportunity to contest 2019 election in Rivers, stripped our party of electoral victory in Zamfara, engendered highest levels of leadership animosities in Imo, Ogun, Adamawa, Bauchi, Kano, Ondo, Oyo, etc. Today, with Kogi and Edo elections approaching similar leadership animosities are defining the political life of the party in those states.
“My distant observation is that there is hardly any difference between your approach in managing the party and the way Chief Oyegun had managed it during his tenure. Instead, things have really got worse and painfully, it would appear, you are in denial of this reality,” he stated.
The Progressives Governors Forum has as members state governors elected under the platform of the APC.
According to him, the internal wrangling in APC resulted in the suspension of three serving governors (two of them now senators) and two members of National Working Committee (NWC) in the build-up to the 2019 general election.
He disclosed that he had earlier made efforts to draw Oshiomhole’s attention to the growing problems in the party, but said the move was rebuffed.
“Kindly recall that sometime in June this year (2019), I sent what I called a private memo on the issues of reported disciplinary actions against Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State by the NWC.
“Of course, the memo noted that before the 2019 elections, the NWC had similarly suspended former Governors Rochas Okorocha and Ibikunle Amosun of Imo and Ogun states respectively. Between June and now, Senator Lawal Shuaibu, APC Deputy National Chairman, North and Alhaji Inuwa Abdulkadir, APC Vice National Chairman (North-West) have also been similarly suspended.
“It would appear that the leadership problems facing the party are getting deeper and in the circumstances, the business of building the party will be sacrificed.
“Since emerging as the National Chairman of our party, I have had cause to review decisions and actions you have taken as the National Chairman and often I have difficulty reconciling many of the decisions and actions you took with the leadership standards you upheld.
“It is a painful reality that we have found ourselves in the situation of near stalemate in many states under your leadership. Embarrassingly, our leaders, including your very self, appear to be stubbornly inconsiderate of other options of resolving these challenges.
“If the electoral loss of Oyo, Imo, Zamfara, Adamawa, and Bauchi are not a wakeup call to the dangers that lie ahead, what could have been! Is it that our leaders are indifferent to the possible return of People’s Democratic Party (PDP)?” he queried.
The Progressive Governors Forum DG added: “In all my years of association with you, I never imagine that one day you will be so comfortable as to be indifferent to challenges that could threaten our national democratic development.”
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