Oshiomhole reacts as Saraki declares for presidency

macfranc007 September 01, 2018 Nigeria News today & Breaking news ▷ Read Naija news 24/7 Nurudeen Lawal

- The APC national chairman has reacted to Saraki’s declaration to contest the 2019 presidency

- He said he has been vindicated about his comment that Saraki left the APC because of his personal ambition

- Oshiomhole also charged the APC leaders in Kwara state to work together to end Saraki’s reign in the state’s politics

The national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, has said that he has been vindicated about his comments that Senate president Bukola Saraki left the ruling party because of his personal ambition and not because he had the interest of the nation at heart.

According to The Nation, Oshiomhole said that Saraki’s personal ambition almost destroyed the APC, pointing out that it was a good thing that the Senate President has moved on.

NAIJ.com gathered that the Oshiomhole who met with APC leaders from Kwara state said the declaration of the Senate president to contest the presidential ticket on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has vindicated him and charged APC members in Kwara state to jettison their personal ambitions and work towards ending the reign of Saraki in Kwara politics.

Chief press secretary to Oshiomhole, Simon Ebegbulem quote the APC Chairman as saying: “When I was saying that all these defections are not about APC but the personal ambition of these people, they took hired writers to say I was being too hard. But Saraki’s declaration has vindicated me.

“Thank God he has moved on because his inordinate ambition was almost destroying our party but he has failed. These are not principled politicians but bread and butter politicians who can go extra miles to pursue their selfish ambition and never think about the well-being of Nigerians.

“As things stand today, APC remains the darling of the Nigeria people. Because PDP was the vomit of yesterday, our people will not chew it back today, not under three and half years. People have not forgotten and people will never forget. In fact, what a senior palace chief in Nigeria said, he said this generation of Nigerians will not forgive the PDP in a hurry. Even to say you want to forgive you must do reparation.

“The damage they did to our economy, the damage they did to our electoral process, even the culture of rigging was institutionalized by them. They introduced do or die politics. They are the ones buying weapons for young people to go into thuggery while their own children are schooling abroad. They introduced all these vices”.

He said that reclaiming Kwara state from the grip of Saraki is a task that must be done, and asked APC leaders to ensure they conclude the election of executives from the wards to the state this weekend.

His words: “The last time I spoke with the minister he told me we have accomplished 80 or 85%, that for me is not good enough because we don’t have more time. So this week we must achieve hundred percent by whatever means. If you can’t do it, we have to help you get it done.

“The two deputy national chairmen working with the National Organizing Secretary and the northcentral vice chairman constitute a committee to complete whatever is left. It will not exceed Sunday this week.

“I also want to appeal very strongly, that at this hour, we don’t want a situation where because of what is happening in Kwara, people who ordinarily will be quite happy to be a strong pillar of support, everybody want to be a governor, everybody wants to be a senator or in the House of Reps.

“Our party is a party of change and we want to discourage people from putting their personal interest over and above the interest of the people of Kwara state. I am able to say under the leadership of the minister, he has repeatedly said it that his interest is not for him to contest for the governorship of Kwara state or any elective office. I don’t think it can be more selfless than that.

“I am very impressed with the enthusiasm of the people of Kwara state. They are experiencing a new dawn, a new sense of freedom and a sense of ownership of the APC where we are trying to do bottom up rather than top down.

“Where we have politics of inclusion, no godfather, everybody matters. Now I superintend over the liquidation of godfathers in Edo state, now I will not be here and allow and support the emergence of a new godfather.

“When we vanquished the godfathers we created a level playing field for equal opportunity to participate and that is what I think we have achieved so far and we need to take full advantage of that to do what need to be done for us to get on with the job of organizing, mobilizing.

“I believe all of us, the APC leadership, we are anxious to come to Kwara state, to interface with the great people of Kwara state, beyond llorin to other major cities in Kwara.

“Let them know and carry the message of change and use the broom to sweep away the past, including the thorn umbrella. The task of sweeping away the past and rebuilding a new Kwara is a task that must be done.

“That should give you the energy, the incentive and the appropriate spirit to work together so that victory will be ours, not for our own good but for the good of the great people of Kwara state who have been oppressed for such a long long time. Like they say there can be many days for the thief but one day for the owner”.

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Meanwhile, NAIJ.com had previously reported that Rinsola Abiola, the daughter of Chief Moshood Kashimwo Olawale Abiola had left the APC.

In a series of tweets on Friday, August 31, Rinsola said she had duly written to her ward chairman.

She noted that although she has not joined a new party yet, she emphasized that commitment to youth and women development will determine her next move.

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