As some disgruntled members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) attempted to orchestrate the removal of the National Chairman of the Party, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, other members of the Party completely against that move, rallied round the Chairman and ensured that attempt remained a will-o’-the-wisp with no real value.
This goes to show that the APC National Chairman still enjoys huge popularity and electoral value, contrary to what a few would have us believe.
Interestingly, after the Court of Appeal ordered a stay of execution on the suspension order from the FCT High Court, there really wasn’t much celebration from the Oshiomhole camp, as the Comrade Chairman urged for restraint from his followers.
“I have been forced to agree that I am not the best chairman in the world and I will never be. But nobody can fault my sincerity of purpose. My style can only be my style but I have recognised that I must reconcile my style to the style of others so that we will meet in the middle of the way,” Oshiomhole said on Tuesday, adopting a reconciliatory tone for the first time since he assumed the leadership of the ruling party in 2018.
He was magnanimous in victory, admitting his shortcomings and promising to make sure his leadership style carries others along.
He didn’t stop there, but went on to match his words with action by seeing to the lifting of the suspensions earlier placed on Deputy National Chairman (North), Senator Lawan Shuaibu, and National Vice-Chairman (North-West), Inuwa Abdulkadir.
“I have asked everyone and they have accepted, whatever they consider to be my own shortcomings, I have asked for forgiveness and they have forgiven and whatever I considered to be anyone’s shortcomings that irritated me, I have also forgiven. This is the way it should be. It can only be abnormal if people know how to fight and they do not know how to settle,” the APC Chairman said.
Many a lesser man would have seen this victory as a time to gloat and mock his political enemies. Adams Oshiomhole is not an ordinary man, he is a leader, who inspires loyalty and awe in his followers by sheer dint of hard work and leading by example.
Comrade Oshiomhole has taken the most honourable path by shunning lackadaisical insouciance, opting instead to wave the olive branch at belligerent Party members in the noble interest of party supremacy and unity.
These party members could do a lot worse than accept the olive branch and let peace prevail.
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Augustine writes from Ikpoba-Okha, Edo state.
