The national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) said yesterday that the worst of the party’s candidate embarking in an election should be preferred to an angel emerging as an opposition.
Oshiomhole stated this during a rowdy session of the national executive council meeting of the party held in Abuja yesterday.
Oshiomhole took turns to mock the former senate president, Dr. Bukola Saraki and 15 other lawmakers, who according to him, defected from the APC hoping that their action would affect President Muhammadu Buhari’s re-election bid.
He commended the victories recorded in Kwara against Saraki, and the “stubborn one” (Dino Melaye) whom he said would lose the November 30 senatorial election in Kogi West.
“I also believe it is significant to point out all those who rebelled against this party, those who sort to burn us down, those who decamped at critical moment believing they could destabilise us and we won’t have enough time to make up as led by Senator Bukola Saraki and fifteen others; all sixteen of them, by the special grace of God, the Nigeria electorates have chosen to punish them with their PVCs and ballot papers. They were all voted out and APC’s senators were voted in to replace them.
“There is one that is still struggling, and as we speak, he is 20,000 feet below ground level and he is hoping that there will be a miracle that will bring him to that level and climb him to the senate.
“I believe by the special grace of God…I believe that deficit (Dino Melaye) there are no miracles in elections, especially if it is free and fair.
“God willing, by the end of the month, God’s will in Kogi State will be done; the 16th stubborn one will go the way the other fifteen went,” said Oshiomhole.
On the losses recorded by the party in Zamfara, Oyo, Bauchi, and Adamawa states to internal problems within the APC, Oshiomhole cautioned the party members against supporting the opposition even if their candidates could not emerge in the party primaries.
“The issue of Bauchi and Adamawa, these are the states we have sitting governors. Looking at the result and listening to our officers from those states, it is very clear that these losses can easily be attributed to internal fighting (disunity) within the party in those respective states leading to internal sabotage.
“I think the lesson to learn from it is that no matter how aggrieved we are, the worst of our candidate embarking in an election should be preferred to an angel emerging as an opposition. It is my prayer that our leaders and cadres will recognise that once the primaries are done, everybody can’t win but whoever emerges should be supported. The spirit of party calls for a commitment to stand by whoever prevails, however, imperfect the process may be,” he said.
