It is no longer news that the National Executive Committee of the APC
has dissolved it’s National Working Committee thereby pulling the rug
under the feet of Oshiomhole, ending his legal battles in court to
regain his position as the national chairman of the APC. Oshiomhole it
is said has instructed his lawyers to withdraw his appeal at the Supreme
Court challenging the decision of the Court of Appeal upholding his
suspension from the APC. Indeed, the Supreme Court case has become a
mere academic exercise with the dissolution of the NWC of the APC.
Oshiomhole has also said that he will not challenge the dissolution of
the NWC in court. This particular decision of Oshiomhole is not
altruistic. Oshiomhole has been beaten, so he has to join them. The new
caretaker committee has been mandated to conduct a convention of the
party where party leaders would be elected. If Oshiomhole still has his
reputation intact, he should not hang on the faint hope that he can
re-contest for the position of the party chairmanship at the convention
to hold later in the future. Most party members are happy to see his
back and would not want to see him again. No thanks to the manner he
carried about his duties as the party chairman. He once said that the
reason why some party members are against his leadership was because of
his hard stance on following procedures and principles. This may be
correct but counter-productive to the overall interest of the party. The
interest of the party should come first before the interest of the
members. Oshiomhole as a party chairman had found it very difficult to
put the interest of the party first where the members interest clash
with the interest of those considered leaders of the party. He has been
accused as the reason why the APC lost Rivers and Zamfara States. This
may not be far from being the truth because as national chairman of the
APC, he merely looked on without calling the political gladiators to
order for the interest of the party. Oshiomhole carried on with the
attitude of instead of his wish or that of the leaders he is subservient
to not to prevail, let the party lose. Edo State is a good example of
this attitude.
In the process of ensuring that Obaseki does not pick the APC’s ticket
for the governorship election coming this September, the APC has lost
the governorship seat of the state. The party once in power is the one
in opposition now. It is funny that the APC did not lose the
governorship seat through the ballot box, but through political
shenanigan and manipulation which foundation was laid by Oshiomhole.
APC’s loss is PDP’s gain. This exposes our politics for what it is-
a medieval scheme of persons without conscience or principle. In the
process of pursuing a rat, he lost the porcupine. Today, PDP is the
party in power in Edo State. This no doubt will enhance its chances at
the gubernatorial election coming up in September. Moreover, Obaseki now
has the sympathy of the Edo people. And the PDP will not take chances.
Most party members see the fall of Oshiomhole as good radiance to bad
rubbish. This may be so. I don’t believe that Oshiomhole should simply
lick his wounds, and say let bye-gone be bye-gone. Let us move forward
under the illegality of the National Executive Committee. But because he
stoked the process that led to his ouster, he may simply lick his wounds
and go to sleep. At the end of the day, he is the one that lost while
Obaseki may have his last laugh when he wins the governorship election
this September.
The way the National Working Committee of the party was dissolved showed
that President Buhari has been bidding his time and the Oshiomhole and
Obaseki feud coupled with the Appeal of a Court ruling upholding
Oshiomhole’s suspension provided the platform for the president to
act. Oshiomhole has become the loser in the power game. His suspension
engineered by Obaseki has become the ground for the final
demystification of the former labour leader. From the actions of the
President so far, it is certain that the APC is not happy how it lost
the governorship in Edo State by the inordinate ambition of one man. I
am sure that Oshiomhole will regret ever fighting Obaseki. Oshiomhole
took over the leadership of the party at a time the party was looking
stabilized except for some minor crisis in some states. But at
Oshiomhole’s taking over of the party leadership, these crises
snowballed into intricate party disputes which Oshiomhole lacked the
will to resolve or control because of vested interests. Oshiomhole may
not only be a victim of his own undoing but also a victim of the
interest of some party stalwarts. Oshiomhole falsely believed that he
had the interest and support of the President until the National Working
Committee was dissolved unceremoniously. Oshiomhole may have been
shocked at how events had developed in the past week and resolved within
himself that it is the end of the road for him. Indeed, it is the end of
the road for him. It is unfortunate that he came, he saw but was
conquered. Mr. Oshiomhole will now be fighting to remain politically
relevant. In Edo State, he has lost it and will never regain any
political relevance again. He may have been used by the powers that be
and is now dumped. Dumped for good of the party and vested interests who
may be gunning for the 2023 elections. So the activist labour leader did
not survive the turbulent political storm called the APC. Well, he
should take some Apc tablets, ward off his headache, and have a good
sleep.
Chimezie Elemuo is a lawyer and public affairs analyst.