APC National Chair: South-South Rejects Bid To Impose Oshiomhole On Zone

The South-South All Progressives Congress (APC) has kicked against the alleged bid to impose former Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, as the zone’s national chairmanship candidate in the party’s upcoming convention.

This is coming after the APC Zonal Vice-Chairman (South-South), Mr Hilliard Eta, allegedly imposed Oshiomhole on members of the party present at the APC South-South zonal executive committee meeting that held on Monday.

In a communiqué jointly signed by the South-South APC state chairmen namely; Chief Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, JP (Rivers), Mr. Etim John (Cross River), Dr. Amadu Attai (Akwa Ibom) Deacon Joseph Fafi (Bayelsa), the party reached the following consensus:

“That the afore-mentioned four (4) State Chairmen out of the six (6) Chairmen of the zone and the executive committee members from their states reject attempts by the South-South APC Zonal Vice Chairman, Prince Hilliard Eta, to railroad members present in the meeting into adopting the former governor of Edo State, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole as the candidate of the South-South zone for the national chairmanship position at the forthcoming national convention.

“It is our conviction that whereas Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and indeed all qualified members of the party in the zone are free to offer themselves for service to our great party, however, the zonal committee believes that for the sake of justice and fairness, as always expressed by our leader, President Muhammadu Buhari on all matters, the incumbent Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, should be given the first choice of refusal to contest the national chairmanship position at the forthcoming national convention of our party.

“That the four (4) APC State Chairmen of Rivers, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa States and our members of the zonal executive committee dissociate ourselves from the attempt to deny a level playing field for all aspirants and particularly attempts to shut out Chief John Odigie-Oyegun from the contest beforehand. We believe that everybody in the zone should be given equal opportunity and a level playing field to express and pursue their aspirations as they may deem fit.

“We condemn in totality the attempts by the South-South Zonal Vice Chairman, Hilliard Eta and Governor Godwin Obaseki to impose Comrade Adams Oshiomhole as the adopted candidate of the South-South zone for the position of national chairman at the forthcoming national convention of our great party. We re-affirm our commitment to resolutely canvass that justice, fairness and equity be upheld all through the process that will lead to, and including, the national convention.

“For the avoidance of doubt, we re-iterate that, at the said meeting, State Chairmen and the Zonal Executive Committee members present NEVER adopted Comrade Adams Oshiomhole as the national chairmanship candidate of the zone for the national convention. We call on all party leaders, faithful and the general public to disregard any information contrary to that elucidated herewith.”