Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, new national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) said that he is in a hurry to assume office to enable him tackle the party’s challenges.
He stated this on Sunday in Abuja at the end of the party’s National Convention where he emerged as the unopposed national chairman of the party through affirmative vote.
The former Edo governor, in his acceptance speech, asked aggrieved members of the party, especially members of the New Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP) to remain in the APC, which he said they jointly built.
He assured aggrieved members of the party that his leadership would put in place a conflict resolution mechanism which would prevent escalation of crisis within the party.
Oshiomhole specifically, said that he would ensure effective reward system for party members who had worked for its success at all levels.
While paying tribute to the founding fathers of the party, Oshiomhole said Chief Bisi Akande, the party’s interim National Chairman and its National leader Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, remain indelible.
He also appreciated the immediate past National Chairman of the APC,Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, saying that since 1999, “no national chairman of any political party accomplished what he accomplished”.
Tinubu in his remarks at the event, said that former President Olusegun Obasanjo had no moral justification to ask President Muhammadu Buhari not to re-contest the presidency in 2019.
He described Obasanjo as ”a busy body.” saying that he was not a member of the APC nor any other political party having torn his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) membership card publicly.
Obasanjo had in January, asked President Buhari not to seek re-election in the forthcoming 2019 presidential election.
“This man has the temerity of writing a letter.
“What is your business, busy body? Unfortunately, he has torn the card of his party, so he does not have one anymore,” Tinubu noted.
He added that he was happy to be in the APC and not listening to those who advised him against associating with President Buhari.
He thanked Buhari for his tenacity and commitment to fight corruption in the country and for working hard to develop the country.
According to him, the President Buhari-led APC has adhered more to the tenets of internal democracy more than any government in the past.
This, he said, was demonstrated at the party’s just concluded National Convention.
“We thank you that you have offered yourself to re-contest the presidency in 2019, you must run, and you will win, ” he said.
“We have changed leaders of our party: not at gun point, ask Audu Ogbeh. Thank God we have been able to stop looting and abuse of power,” Tinubu said.
The former Lagos State Governor thanked Gov. Abubakar Badaru of Jigawa, who is also the Chairman APC National Convention Planning Committee for the success recorded.
“Badaru, you have delivered, in spite of negative prediction that we will never see this day and that our party will fall apart,” he said.
Tinubu thanked the committee members for the show of dedication and commitment and for ensuring a successful national convention.
He also thanked Adams Oshiomhole, the new national chairman of the APC, saying that:” you are a true reflection of the saying that no matter how short a man is, he will see the sky.”
He, however, asked members of the new National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC not to abuse the trust reposed in them.
He assured that he would join other party leaders to support the NWC to enable it succeed on its mandate to move the party forward.
