The National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has said the Senate President’s intention to run as president almost torn the party apart under his leadership.
Oshiomhole noted that he has been vindicated on his comments that the Senate President left the party because of his personal ambition and not because he had the interest of the nation at heart.
He said that Saraki’s personal ambition almost destroyed the ruling party, adding that it is a good thing that the Senate President has moved on.
Oshiomhole, in a meeting with APC leaders from Kwara State, said the declaration of the Senate President’s decision to contest the presidential ticket on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) had vindicated him, charging APC members in the state to jettison their personal ambitions and work towards ending the reign of Saraki in Kwara politics.
The Chief Press Secretary to Oshiomhole, Simon Ebegbulem, quoted the APC Chairman as saying, “When I was saying that all these defections is not about APC but the personal ambition of these people, they took hired writers to say I was being too hard. But Saraki’s declaration has vindicated me.
“Thank God he has moved on, because his inordinate ambition was almost destroying our party, but he has failed.
“These are not principled politicians but bread-and-butter politicians who can go the extra mile to pursue their selfish ambitions and never think about the well-being of Nigerians.
“As things stands today, APC remains the darling of the Nigerian people because PDP is the vomit of yesterday and our people will not chew it back today; not under three and half years. People have not forgotten and people will never forget.
“In fact, a senior palace chief in Nigeria said this generation of Nigerians will not forgive the PDP in a hurry. Even to say you want to forgive, you must do reparation.
“The damage they did to our economy, the damage they did to our electoral process, even the culture of rigging was institutionalised by them. They introduced do or die politics.
“They are the ones buying weapons for young people to go into thuggery while their own children are schooling abroad. They introduced all these vices.”
He said that reclaiming Kwara state from the grip of Saraki is a task that must be done, and asked APC leaders to ensure they conclude the election of executives from the wards to the state this weekend.
He said: “The last time I spoke with the Minister, he told me we have accomplished 80 or 85 per cent. That, for me, is not good enough, because we don’t have more time. So this week, we must achieve 100 per cent by whatever means. If you can’t do it, we have to help you get it done.
“The two Deputy National chairmen working with the National Organising Secretary and the North Central Vice Chairman constitute a committee to complete whatever is left. It will not exceed Sunday this week.
“I also want to appeal very strongly that at this hour, we don’t want a situation where because of what is happening in Kwara, people who ordinarily will be quite happy to be a strong pillar of support, everybody wants to be a governor, everybody wants to be a senator or in the House of Reps.
“Our party is a party of change and we want to discourage people from putting their personal interests over and above the interest of the people of Kwara State.
