A vote of confidence was on Friday passed on the national chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole as two groups in the party staged a joint peaceful rally to endorse his continued stay in office.
The two groups are Unity Group of APC and Friends of Oshiomhole in Nigeria.
Banner and placards carrying members of the two groups stormed the national Secretariat of the party barely 24 hours after Police averted bloody clash between two opposing groups who were on protest for and against the national chairman of the party.
As early as 11am members who were seen signing praises of the national chairman took over the road that leads to the party Secretariat to drum support for the continued stay in office of the national chairman.
Some of the banners and placards read, “No one can pull APC down”, “Godwin Obaseki, stop the pull down syndrome”, “Obaseki, stop creating concussion in our party” and “Oshiomhole means well for the party”.
Other placards read, “We stand with our Chairman”, “Osho Baba must stay”, “We won’t accept negative narratives. Oshiomhole we know” and “There is no alternative for Baba and Oshiomhole”.
Addressing newsmen after the rally the leader of the APC Unity Group, Malam Idris Umar Faruk said all well-meaning party members endorsed the continued leadership being provided for the party by the national chairman.
Faruk, who is also the deputy youth leader of the ruling party in Federal Capital Territory berated those calling for the removal of Oshiomhole, arguing that, the national chairman has turned the fortunes of the party for good since he assumed leadership.
He noted that aside the sound leadership provided by Oshiomhole, the national chairman has accorded youth more prime positions stressing that youth occupied more elective offices under the watch of the national chairman.
Faruk insisted that the national chairman has come to stay. According to him, “we are here today as APC members to give support to our national chairman for the good work he has been doing. We want him to continue”, adding that, “whosoever is nursing that the national chairman should go, he or she is nursing their exit from the party.”
Speaking in same vein, the national publicity Secretary of Friends of Oshiomhole in Nigeria, Hon. Folorunso Oluwole Emmanuel took a swipe on Oshiomhole antagonists. He said, “we are here to say Oshiomhole must stay”.
Describing those oppose to the national chairman as “political jobbers”, the group leader said they were not perturbed by the antics of the opposition noting that “the antecedent of Comrade Oshiomhole speaks for him”.
The group blamed the opposition against the leadership of the national chairman on the governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki. He maintained that the alleged state sponsored assault on the national chairman in Benin last weekend was unbecoming of the governor who benefited from the magnanimity of the national chairman.
“We are here to tell Governor Obaseki to leave the national chairman alone and face his work of administering Edo State. He has a lot on his plate as a governor. Let him allow the national chairman to be focused and take the party to the next level. Obaseki should stop the pull down syndrome. He is biting the fingers that fed”.