By Dayo Omoogun
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has assured party members that the party will bounce back stronger
after the recent misunderstanding within its ranks.
He was speaking yesterday on arrival at the party headquarters after a stay of execution order was granted on Monday by the Court of Appeal on the earlier order given by an Abuja High Court restraining him from parading himself as the Chairman.
He said “we cannot lay claim to have a family that has members who would be so docile that they can’t argue amongst themselves or even sometimes want to fight but that is the hallmark of democracy. It can only be unusual when we fight with each another, we quarrel with another other and now develop that level of animosity that we become incapable of sitting down, putting on our thinking caps, reminding ourselves that what binds us together is much more than whatever divides us”.
“So I think that God is never wrong, He has allowed what has happened to happen so that we all can learn, everybody reexamine his conscience and strengthen those bonds of friendship, strengthen those bonds of conviviality and work as a family”.
He conceded that his style may not be perfect and that he is willing to work on it. “I am the first to admit that. I am not the best Chairman in the world and will never be but no one can fault my sincerity of purpose. My style can only be my style but I recognise that I must reconcile my style with the style of others so that we can meet in the middle of the road.
He used the opportunity to thank his colleagues both present and absent, Mr. President, the APC governors, the Judiciary and the media. Concerning the governors, he said “regardless of what anyone may feel, I have absolute respect for each and every one of them and I have personal relationship with each one of them but I recognise that the fact of having personal relationship is not enough not to have differences and even suspicions. The weapon against suspicion is more dialogue, more dialogue and more dialogue. People probably need to be reassured that I am not capable of being biased by the very background that I come from. And I recognize that one tree can never make a forest no matter how tall that tree might think of itself. I am a believer in conversation, I am a believer in contestation and I am also a believer in conflict resolution”.
“Those who are thinking we have come here to box , I wear no boxing gloves” he added
Rallying members further he exhorted that as the party’s opponents work hard to showcase the few areas of weakness, members must proudly highlight the great gains made under this leadership, alluding to the party’s victory in Kwara, Gombe states and other polls.
While rededicating the party to God he assured of a brighter future for the party. “We are going to bounce back stronger” he said.