…As ruling party inaugurates conflict resolution Committee

Romanus Ugwu, Abuja

National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, on Wednesday, took a swipe at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), saying that the only integrity they have is the reputation of share the money.

Oshiomhole spoke when he inaugurated the 42-man National Peace and Reconciliation Committee at the party secretariat, in Abuja, emphasising that only Nigerians with short memories can compare the APC and the PDP.

The former governor of Edo State expressed surprise that the attack from certain aggrieved persons in the APC did not have the effect the opposition expected.

Extolling the committee members, Oshiomhole said, “On behalf of the NWC, I want to appreciate each and every one of you who, despite your very crowded schedule as governors, senators, ministers, at short notice, honoured us by accepting your appointment to serve in this committee we set up your help us as a party find in-house solution to our problems by restoring peace, enduring internal unity and harmony within the APC family.

“We have gone through very crucial state in the processes leading to the next presidential, National Assembly, governorship and State Assembly elections. I think by my own record, of the 36 states and the FCT, we have done exceedingly well.

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“It is impossible even for the most gifted child to score 100 per cent in every subject and the more questions you have to answer, the higher your chances of missing some of them.

“One thing I learnt early in life in trying to lead people of equal is that once you become the chairman of a logo association, you automatically become the logo dustbin to which everybody empties everything that is dirty.

“I have had my own unfair share of people, who in anger, chose to attack me as a person, but unfortunately it does not coincide with what the opposition, the PDP had always wanted.

“Bringing on board my past reputation was by itself a challenge to the PDP that has no reputation.

“If they had any, it is only the reputation of share the money. They shared it as recklessly as they could and these are no longer in the realm of speculation because they are the subject of litigation in the courts across the country.

“Four years ago, around this time, we were in opposition and the value of our tickets, if we have a political market where tickets are awaited, were certainly not near they are today.

“Only men of conviction and of vision can subscribe contesting election on our platform.

“I believe that our collective verdict under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari, who is our presidential candidate have all worked hard in the last four years.

“We have not solved all the problems of Nigeria but those who have good memories will have no difficulty in comparing the previous 16 years of the PDP rule with the three and half years of the APC.

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“Our people voted for change because they want to change the way the country is managed, the way governance is approached, eliminate corruption in the process of governance and reconcile efforts with rewards and eliminate the trend where people who work hard earn very little while those who have no business address are the billionaires.

“We wanted to address the situation where a Nigerian is buying a private jet every other week even without any business address.

“I believe that the house is bigger today than it was four years ago. Those who mean business know that the president is delivering in the campaign promises that we made.

“But as they say, success has many fathers while failure is almost an orphan. All these accomplishments that have enlarged the house and brought in more quality political activists and leaders with huge electoral value meant that the internal democratic process become more intense, competitive, resulting in more people showing interest in the affairs of our party.

“But we are still learning the full impact of multi-party democracy and of a free and fair election. If it were possible to have angels in politics and 10 angels decided to contest for the governor of a state and one emerges.

“The other mine that failed is not because they are not angels but because only person will be chosen.

“I am therefore not surprised that despite the efforts we have made, we do have some persons and group in few states that are not comfortable with what we have done. They feel that the system is not just to them.

“It is not sufficient to rely on the fact that my colleagues and I in the NWC, hard as we tried to endure that the rules of the party are obeyed, that the process was transparent and that we protected everyone and that those the system did not favour are not only questioning the outcome but appeared disappointed.

“Some rather very bitter resorted to statements that are not helpful going forward as we approach the elections,” he said.

Responding, Governor Kashmir Shettima of of Borno State, who spoke on behalf of other members, assured that they would not disappoint.