OSHIOMHOLE SPOKE YESTERDAY AT THE APC NEC MEETING:

Read his speech yesterday...

“I stumbled on a quote which might interest Mr. President and I think it summarises what has happened to us. I can’t find anything more appropriate.

“I do not know exactly the occasion and I don’t know the date this statement was made by one of Nigeria’s foremost political leaders who was described as the best president Nigeria never had, Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

“In one of his works, he said, ‘For the Progressives to be in power, they need the support and collaboration of some Conservatives. After attaining power, the conservatives would on their own move away. The progressives, once the conservatives have moved away on their own, would now build a great party that will move the nation forward’.

“Mr. President, the conservatives have moved away. So, this was bound to happen because when we promised change, they all sang it, but it had different meanings to different people.

“For some, it was to be the change that would lead to more of the same but for the Nigerian people; they know that change meant a move from a political order that services only the political elite at the expense of the poor and the masses.

“When it became clear that this change cannot allow business as usual, the conservatives left on their own. Our party is stronger, smarter, more cohesive and there is no better evidence than the fact that we have won all the major elections after they left the party.”

“After our elections, we worked hard to meet with people from the states who had issues arising from the congresses and we reassured them that we would treat every case on its merit and I believe that we have done a lot of that and will continue to do what we have to do to ensure that there is peace and unity in the state chapters.

“We also had meetings with the APC caucus in the senate and thereafter we had a meeting with the APC caucus in the House of Representatives. At those meetings, we reassured everyone that as a party that is democratic, there will be issues and contestations but that the most important thing is for us to be able to see through the issues.

“I am happy to report that as a result of those engagements, many senators and members of the House of Representatives renewed confidence in our party. But those who were determined to leave, not on account of what anybody has done wrong against them, but on account of an ambition they believe they cannot realize on our platform, even though they were not denied the opportunity to try out that ambition, but perhaps because they could read like an Oracle what the future would be particularly as people have contested before when we didn’t have any incumbent.

“I had thought that by the provisions in our party constitution, they had the right to contest and that right was not going to be denied them. But reflecting on what has happened in the past and reading the minds of party members and leaders, they came to the conclusion that the only way they can realize their ambition was to relocate and they relocated. Of course, for distant observers, they think that this is a huge blow to our party.

“I made a comment which seems to have been misunderstood in some quarters, when I said that if some individuals of no particular fixed political address decide to leave, I will not lose my sleep.

“I speak of no particular fixed address because if you have a history of moving every season from one political party to the other with one constant thing in mind, to contest, now what is your political address? So, for people like that who are migrant politicians, rolling stone politicians, I am not able to identify their political address and therefore, I refuse to miss my sleep.

“But some people said this was arrogant, but we also need to be blunt. What can you do about someone who feels that in every election, he must contest and if he cannot win he must decamp. Some have decamped as many times as the many elections that has taken place.”

“I made a commitment on behalf of the leadership of the party that every one of persons who have grievances, no matter the nature of those grievances, arising from genuine misunderstanding, arising from communication gap, arising from conflict of interest, our responsibility is to help this party to find common ground and do genuine reconciliation, play up what unite us, down play what divide us so that together, we can continue to work together within the party and address issues that affect our Vision.

“I am proud that most of the people who have such issues have confidence that the party will listen and we have listened and have resolved a lot of the issues. Today, I am sure that many of our senators, House of Representatives members and leaders across the country who have issues have seen that the issues are being resolved and now have greater confidence in the activities of our party.

“I will continue to assure them that we will not pretend that there will be no conflict tomorrow. What we promise is that as they arise, God will give us the wisdom, patience and courage to do justice and make them feel comfortable within the family of the APC.”

“We have seen people who go back to their communities to decamp and we see ‘uncommon defectors’ but the others sat in their chambers, in a Guest House and prepared their defection notes. Some are known to have remained in Abuja, detained by their own consciences and unable to visit their constituencies.

“So, I want to assure you that we have purged ourselves of excess fats that would have possibly interfered in the flow of blood in our vain. We are stronger, more determined and we are much certain of our future.”

“We asked the President to continue to provide leadership to deal with the vices that has detained Nigeria in the last and which seems to explain the paradox that has detained Nigeria, a country that is so rich and its people so poor.

“Mr. President, God has a purpose for sparing your life and that is because you have not finished the mission that He entrusted to you, to lead the forces of change, to reposition our country, reorder our values and to encourage all of us.

“Those who submit to change, in spite of their past still have a chance to play a role in the commitment to rebuild the nation and ensure it offer hope to every citizen.

“Mr. President, you are the only one who has had the courage to look at western leaders’ eye ball to eye ball and as them to return the stolen money. If you have stolen money in their vault, you won’t have the courage to say so. None of your predecessors have had the courage to say so in the manner that you did. Those are thing we are proud of and they give us courage and confidence that Nigerians will not be fooled come 2019.”


Source:http://www.ngg.ng/2018/08/31/oshiomhole-speech-at-the-apc-nec-meeting/
lalasticlala OAM4J, Mynd44

I will have to come back read