By Chris Onuoha
Hon. Komsol Alphonsus Longgap is a member of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and the member representing Mikang, Shendam & Quaan-Pan Federal Constituency of Plateau State in the House of Representatives. In this interview, Longgap posits that those calling for the removal of the National Chairman of the APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, are enemies of President Muhammuadu Buhari.
You are a member of the NEC of the APC. How do you react to this call by some governors for the removal of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole as National Chairman of the APC?
I have been a party man for long and when I came in to contest this election, if not for his (Oshiomhole) transparency, I would not have been here as a lawmaker. He does not like injustice, he allowed due process during our primaries and that is why I emerged. Some people were trying to hijack the process but he stood his ground. I was a top leader when I was in PDP and now in APC, but I can tell you that I have never seen a party Chairman who assisted all aspirants of the party during elections. He did it in the 2019 general elections. He organized funds and went round the states to support all APC candidates. I have never seen that before. So I don’t know why few persons are calling for his removal.
The man is a very straight forward person and he wants the best for the APC. So we believe in him so much and, as a member of the NEC and House of Reps member, I can tell you he enjoys the support of the majority of NEC members and the APC Caucus in the National Assembly.
We are aware that those fighting him are governors who are eyeing 2023 presidency. But they can face their ambitions without destroying the party. And what they are doing is to distract Mr President which is not good for us. Today, we are enjoying cordial relationship between the National Assembly and the legislature. You saw that the President just assented to the 2020 Budget. I can tell you that this was made possible because of the effort Oshiomhole made to enthrone true APC leadership in the National Assembly.
The President just signed the budget into law and, by January, Nigerians will start to enjoy the benefit unlike when we had NASS leadership that was at war with the Presidency. President Buhari has said it categorically that everybody should go back to their units and wards and make the party popular. And that is the agenda Comrade Oshiomhole is pursuing and that will tell you that those fighting Oshiomhole are enemies of President Buhari.
They don’t mean well for the party and we will resist them. Oshiomhole has reformed the party and handed it over to the masses and not individuals and he must be allowed to continue with his good work. Anybody who does not appreciate what the man is trying to do is not a true member of this party. Some people are not happy because he has refused to be compromised so they can use him as a willing tool.
I understand that most of those calling for Oshiomhole’s removal are doing so due to their 2023 ambition. But I want to tell you, President Buhari told us categorically that everybody should go back to the grassroots and that is what Oshiomhole has done. Taking the party back to the people and that is what these governors don’t want. And I believe that in 2023, you will see wonders. Some of those calling for the removal of Oshiomhole, you will see how they will be disgraced.
These people don’t have the grassroots support, take the powers that they have today away, nobody will vote for them. They are only using the powers they have today to make noise. For us, we are taking the advice of our President; we are all going back to the grassroots to test our popularity. So the plot to remove Oshiomhole will not work because thank God the leadership of the National Assembly and majority of us, who are members of the NEC, are solidly behind Oshiomhole. You can imagine, the man brought sanity in the leadership of the National Assembly.
Today, we are enjoying that cordial relationship between the Executive and the National Assembly and this was made possible through the effort of Oshiomhole-led NWC to make sure that the party’s candidates emerge as leaders of the National Assembly. You can see how we won the election in Bayelsa and Kogi, it is always difficult for any party to defeat the PDP in Bayelsa but under his administration it was made possible. Yet you are talking about removing him. As far as I am concerned what the governors planned to do was a failed coup. We are behind him and we will be with him till the end of his tenure.
It is said that the governor of Edo is one of those leading the rebellion against Oshiomhole. What is your take on that?
You cannot bite the fingers that fed you. Whether you like it not, everybody in Nigeria knows that without Oshiomhole, Obaseki would not have emerged as the candidate of the party, not to talk of winning election. And even today, without Oshiomhole, APC cannot win election in Edo.
Forget what the governor is doing there because he controls the resources but politically he is too junior. I read where the governor and his deputy said Oshiomhole taught them all they are doing. But Oshiomhole replied them saying he never taught them to lose elections, he never taught them to disrespect people.
You could see that those fighting the man could not even win in their various units and wards. So, as far as I am concerned, the war the governor is waging against Oshiomhole is unnecessary because if he has performed, the people will vote for him but if he has not performed, nobody will support him. I don’t think fighting Oshiomhole will solve his problem. Like we have seen, there are other powerful party leaders and aspirants there and they are no push over. If, for instance, he gets the party’s ticket, is it not people like Oshiomhole and other leaders that will campaign for him? He should stop venting his anger on Oshiomhole. Oshiomhole is just an individual and if he performs it will difficult for anybody to stop him, but if he continues to dissipate energy in fighting Oshiomhole, when he knows Oshiomhole is not running for governorship, then he will pay the price.
The Oshiomhole we know cannot destroy the house he built, he has invested so much in APC in that state and we know he will do everything possible to retain the state. But, honestly, if I were the governor, I will go and make peace with Oshiomhole. He should even learn from the experiences of former Governors Okorocha and Amosun, who, when they needed tickets for their candidates, Oshiomhole said it was not automatic. They fought for it and lost and nothing happened because the party is supreme. These men were equally close to Mr President but our President does not interfere in party decisions because he believes Oshiomhole has the capacity to handle the issues. So if Obaseki thinks by abusing Oshiomhole everyday will give him second term ticket, he is wasting his time. It is better he dialogues with party leaders and accommodate everybody.
Are you not worried that the governors perceived ambition for 2023 presidency may again plunge the party into crisis?
My advice is that the governors should allow President Buhari to concentrate and give dividends of democracy to Nigerians. That was why they voted for us. What they are doing is not to unmake Oshiomhole but to distract the President and the party. So my advice is that anybody who wants the progress of this party should follow due process and do things according to the manifesto of the party which I feel Oshiomhole is executing.
Let me also use this opportunity to call on the NWC to come up with a proposal to amend the party’s constitution in a way that it will give powers to the grassroots. I believe the constitution should be amended so that we conduct direct primaries so that every member of our party will participate in electing our candidates. I believe that we have to adhere strictly to our constitution, this party will stay beyond 2023 in power and I am glad that Oshiomhole has what it takes to move the party forward.
Vanguard