The All Progressives Congress (APC) National Vice Chairman South South, Prince Hilliard Eta, on Sunday alleged that plot to remove the party’s National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomole was an orhestrated to weaken the ruling party ahead of 2023.
The APC chieftain said he has unraveling moves by the anti-Oshiomole elements in the ruling party by causing crisis with the intent to distract President Muhammadu Buhari from delivering, thereby weakened the fortunes of the party.
The sponsors, he alleged, would then be able to move members to another party where they can pursue their selfish ambition come 2023.
The APC Vice Chairman disclosed these to newsmen in Abuja while debunking media reports making round that the people of the South South has abandoned Oshiomhole.
Contrary to reports, Eta maintained that members and leaders of the party from the South South geo-political zone are solidly behind the leadership of the National Chairman, insisting that “Oshiomhole remain the best for the position, therefore he is enjoying the support of the leaders of the zone contrary to reports in the media”.
He said: “I was surprised when I read the report that the South South has abandoned Oshiomhole. That is completely untrue and being fueled by those plotting evil against the national chairman. I am the National Vice Chairman of the party in the South South zone, and I know better. The political leader of the zone who is the Deputy Senate President (Ovie Omo-Agege) was not contacted by anyone to know the position of the zone.
“So I wonder where that Newspaper got their information from. As I speak with you, the zone is implicitly behind the National Chairman of our party, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole. We are fully in support of our chairman and people from outside of our zone will not tell us how we will manage our office that was zone to our region.
“We believe that the Chairman is doing very very well and on account of his performance, the zone stands solidly behind him. We have continuously and persistently said so because nothing has fundamentally changed”.
Eta blamed the current crisis in the party on 2023 presidential ambition of some governors hell bent on removing the National Chairman in order to actualize their selfish ambition and interest at the expense of national interest.
The APC leader warned: “We should be mindful of the consequences of our actions because they are distracting our President who is settling down after he won his second term to provide the dividends of democracy to Nigerians.
“I happen to know that there is this move by some of these people to weaken the party and get some people out so they can form another political group to challenge the party in 2023. But that can be done without heating up the polity the way they are doing now.
“Those who love this party must call the troublemakers to order, whatever happens to this party between now and 2023 will affect the democratic fabrics of this country . So we must be mindful of not just the corporate health of APC but that of the entire Nigerians,” he advised.