13th September, 2022
By Jethro Ibileke
A former national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, has differed from the ex- national vice chairman (south-south) of the party, Comrade Victor Giadom, over the health status of the APC in Edo State.
The two party leaders expressed their divergent views while addressing leaders and members of APC at a stakeholders’ meeting in Edo on Monday.
While Giadom expressed satisfaction with the state of the party in Edo and is “convinced that we are on track”, Oshiomhole admitted that the party do have serious challenges in the state.
They, however, appealed to members of the party in the state to settle their differences with a view to securing victory for the party’s presidential flag bearer, Bola Ahmed Tinubu and others in 2023 general elections.
According to them, Tinubu has the capacity to lead Nigeria and provide what the country had lost in the past.
Giadom especially appealed to leaders and members of APC in Edo to embrace peace and unity in order to ensure the party emerge victory in 2023 elections.
The former Rivers State Commissioner for Works, further advised angry and aggrieved members of the state to shelve their swords and work towards the victory of the party.
He urged them to work together as a united party so as to secure victory for the party in 2023 general polls.
“So, we are here as a family to speak to ourselves, find solutions to our common challenges, and reposition of the party towards the victory in 2023.
“We have strong commitment from my former boss, that is Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, the state APC chairman and all members of the party. Looking ahead of the party, very are satisfied and convinced that we are on track.
“We are reassured that we are going to reclaim back Edo state from the PDP, and at the end of the day we are going to deliver governance back to Edo state, and the South- South zone of this country,” he added.
On his part, the former two-term governor of Edo, urged members of the party to work together as a family and make sure they reclaim power from the PDP in the state.
He said: “Although we are in power in Abuja, but not in Edo State, we have renewed our commitment to work as a South South zone to deliver the party in 2023 polls.
“We are eager to take power from the state, national assemblies and retain it in federal level. We do have challenges even though the Vice Chairman APC, south-south, said we do not have. One of the challenges we have is that we have been misruled by the governor of the state.
“We defeated PDP in this state in 2007, 2012 and 2016. The person who won decided to defect to PDP, but our spirits cannot return to PDP. We have dealt with PDP. When we eventually defeat PDP, there will be no PDP in Nigeria as a party to return to,” Oshiomhole boasted.
He expressed conviction that if all stakeholders of the party put their grievances aside and work for its victory, APC could reclaim power from the PDP in the state, come 2023.
He said: “Even though we are not in government now, when we work together as one united party, we will defeat PDP. All the party leaders in the 18 local government areas are here to strategize for the victory of the party.”
He noted that the stakeholders’ meeting part of efforts ongoing in the six states in the south-south zone to resolve crisis in the party.
He also advised all aggrieved members of the party who have cases in courts to withdraw them to enable the party move forward, and secure victory in the 2023 general elections .