2019: APC Merger Drawn Buhari’s Men In Edo

A significant number of staunch supporters President Muhammadu Buhari have been politically drawn by their alleged exclusion from active politics of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo state.

The move, according to the Patron of Buhari Youth Organization, Buhari Friends Organization Network and Izon-Ibe Global Policy Network (IGPN), Comrade Godwin Erhahon has out of step with public opinion.

Erhahon who disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, said no former member or leader of Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) now defunct, featured among elected into APC cabinet at the recently concluded APC 192 Wards, Local Government and Edo state Congresses.

Recall that before the 2015 general elections, four political parties, namely, Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), a faction of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and CPC merged and became APC.

He said their continuous isolation may not be unconnected with the intolerance of political dissent of the ruling party towards eroding the legacies of CPC in APC political equations in Edo state.

He said such political arrangements, negates the letters of the merger and cast doubt on the internal democracy of the party ahead of 2019 general election.

According to him, “the Minister of State and  Chairman  board of governors of one of the Federal Polytechnics appointed from CPC legacy in Edo State were picked directly from the Presidency, not nominees from Edo State Government or party secretariat.

“As Chairman of CPC legacy, myself,  my ACN and ANPP legacy counterparts with himself then as  Governor started the formation of APC in Edo State in 2013. What yardstick did he use to exclude me from the State caucus?

“I challenge the Governors and other national leaders from ANPP, CPC and APGA legacies to call Oshiomhole to explain to them how he has accommodated their former members in both government and party structures in Edo State before supporting him for the national chairmship.

“They should help President Buhari out of his present obsession and hallucination over imaginary magic power  of Oshiomhole.  I will gladly attend such forum if given  sufficient notice.

“Today at the Federal level, President Buhari has ACN legacy members as Vice President and  Secretary to the Government of the federation as well as Ministers and he is routing for another to become National Chairman!  But sadly, our President would not ask Oshiomhole what he has given other legacy members in Edo State.

“This is a challenge to the leaders of other legacy parties at the apex level and all those wish APC well  to take Oshiomhole to task on”, he said.

He said the alleged marginalization of CPC legacy members, especially in area of appointment should be reviewed as the party marches towards 2019 general election to promote unification.