By Jethro lbileke
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomole, has explained why being national chairman of the party cannot stop him from participation in the local politics of his home state.
Oshiomole who stated this on Saturday in Auchi, Etsako West local government of the state, during a unification rally to receive members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to the APC, said he does not want to be a national chairman who cannot win any election in his own state.
The rally was held at the Auchi public fields after the venue previously planned for use was attacked and burnt down overnight by suspected thugs.
He said the rally has reinforced his confidence that he will win the forthcoming governorship election in the state for the APC.
The former State Governor added that with the decampees, no one is left in PDP in Edo North.
“Some people asked me why I am playing local politics as a national chairman and I told them that every politics is local. I don’t want to be an Abuja politician who cannot win his poling unit, local government and state in election.
“I don’t want to be an Abuja politician because I am a national chairman and on the day of election, I can’t win my unit. I don’t want to be a chairman who campaign and win election in other states and on election day I cannot win my unit, ward, house of assembly member and national assembly member. If I don’t win my place, how will I deliver the president and how will I be a useful national chairman,” he said
The APC national chairman disclosed that President Muhammadu Buhari has told them during NEC meeting to connect to the unit level of politics and listen to the views of all members.
He noted that the only permanent position in politics is at the grassroots while all other positions are tenured, adding that by the time his tenure elapsed, he is still coming back to the local politics.
Speaking on the electoral laws, Oshiomole said President Buhari has said that he will take some steps to correct the lapses that has been observed in the electoral process before before he leaves office, so that the next election will be free and fair and no need to go to the court.
“What that means is that anybody who want to rig election is not in Buhari’s country and APC’s Buhari said he will not rig election for anybody and he wants electoral process where votes counts in the country,” he disclosed.
On the Supreme Court judgement on Imo state governorship election, Oshiomole said in reforming the electoral process, APC will push the President and the National Assembly to insert in the electoral law that any INEC official who deliberately declared a loser as the winner of election should be charged to court when the court established that a fraud has been committed.
According to him, “Everybody knows that you need one quarter of the votes in at least two third local government (areas) in a state to be declared a winner or governor, but INEC recruit a Professor of crook who declared Emeka Ihedeoha of the PDP who scored one third in 12 local government (areas) out of 27. So, if the Professor go free with his loot, another person will try it again.
“That was the mischief that the Supreme Court corrected that they are hiring people to come and make noise. We don’t steal votes, we win votes. So I congratulate the Supreme Court for upholding the constitution of the country.”
Earlier, the leader of the decamping PDP members, Engr. Abubakar Momoh, said they were joining the APC to work with the Oshiomole and Governor Godwin Obaseki to succeed in the development of the state.
He said: “A minimum of 30,000 members are leaving the PDP to the APC today. There is nobody left in the PDP in Edo North because aside those who left the APC and are coming back, those who had not left the PDP since 1999 are also joining us,” Abubakar said.
Other dignitaries at the unification rally include former Deputy Governor, Pius Odubu, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, Chris Ogiewonmyi, Lucky Imasuen, Deputy Majority Leader, House of Representatives, Peter Akpatanson, Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Clem Agba, Hon. Julius Ihonvbere.