Comrade Adams Oshiomhole yesterday in Abuja emerged as the National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). His election came through “affirmation” at the second elective national convention of the party.
The affirmation became necessary, after other contestants for the position withdrew, leaving the former Edo State Governor to be returned unopposed.
In his address at the opening of the convention, President Muhammadu Buhari appealed to aggrieved members to be patient, saying the party will soon resolve the disagreements. Buhari assured that the party will emerge from its present challenges stronger and more vibrant.
Outgoing National Chairman of APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, gave an emotional farewell speech in which he admitted that his tenure was turbulent. But Odigie-Oyegun said the party had become stronger on his watch.
The chairman of the APC National Convention Committee and Jigawa State Governor, Alhaji Badaru Abubakar, who moderated the election process, asked the delegates to affirm Oshiomhole’s election through a voice vote and they did.
Oshiomhole’s affirmation came shortly after Buhari delivered his speech in which he pleaded with delegates to support the party’s consensus arrangement.
In his parting address, Odigie-Oyegun acknowledged rifts within his executive, saying, “We provided the kind of leadership that has brought this party to this point today, a strong party, a united party. There were divergent views here and there. The essence is that the APC is, at the end of the day, a strong party, a passionate party, a party that believes in its vision and the vision of the president for this country.”
The outgoing chairman praised the vision of the APC founding fathers, including Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Chief Bisi Akande, Prince Tony Momoh, Chief Ogbonnaya Onu, and leaders of factions of the All Progressives Grand Alliance and the new Peoples Democratic Party.
Following Oshiomhole’s emergence through affirmation, many other offices, such as National Welfare Officer, Financial Secretary, Zonal Woman Leader (North-Central), ex-offio members for North-central and North-west, the Zonal Woman Leader (South-South), were declared unopposed, as aspirants withdrew from the contest.
