*Insis Obaseki remains pary’s sronmges candidate for 2020
By Ezeocha Nzeh
Barely 24 hours after the National Working Committeeset aside his suspension at a reconciliatory meeting on Tuesday, Deputy National Chairman, North, of the ruling All Progressives Congress APC Sen. Lawal Shuaibu stormed the party secretariat in Abuja to resume his duties
Shuaibu, who arrived the APC secretariat at about 3: 20 pm, told journalists that though he never believed that he was suspended as the party’s constitution never empowered the NWC to suspend a national officer, he decided to return to duty because of his believe that the party must move forward after its challenges
Insisting that he had no issues with the APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, Senator Shuaibu noted that he his problem with the party’s chairman started when he noticed that he was derailing in a what could affect the APC fortunes, a nd he spoke out due to his believe that the APC must not die
“Nobody suspended me, it was just a fight that I wanted to avoid. I don’t want to continue the fight and that was why I kept quiet. All I wanted to do was to raise my hand before the market burns because by the time the market goes aflame everybody may be consumed.
“All I have said in that letter have all come to pass. It is wrong to say that the war is over because, to me, there was no war in the first place. My letter to Oshiomhole was very personal to either save the APC or allow it to collapse.
“The structures of the party as a result of the inability of the leadership to reposition the party has become very weak. From wards to the national centres, the structures have become weak and that was what I was trying to avoid.
“I told him to come back to the track and if he cannot do it, let him leave because some of us have suffered to build this party. However, as he said, in the spirit of reconciliation, all these are now bygone because there is nothing anybody can do when he said he has extended the Olive branch.
On the forthcoming Edo state governorship elecvtion in September 2020, Shuaibu insisted the incumbent governor, Godwin Obaseki remained the APC strongest candidate, noting that only an unserious political party will work to remove a governor who has performed so well to earn it re election
“It is not a time bomb. We all heard President Buhari during the last NEC meeting announce that any governor who has performed deserves a second term. There is no time bomb because why should you prefer any other person than the sitting governor? It is like that all over the world even in America that started this democracy. Donald Trump has no opposition and nobody is contesting against him.
“It does not make sense to bring another person to contest against the governor. Governor Obaseki is the strongest candidate of the APC we have in Edo state”.
On whether he believes in the Chief Bisi Akande led National Reconciliation Committee to settle the disputes in the party, the returning Deputy National Chairman said, “Let me tell you something. The pertinent question is who do you reconcile? You told me to come and buy expression of interest form for N2.5 million or so I bought the form, but when it comes to the contest, you will say no that only this person will get the ticket, but you didn’t refund my money, how do you reconcile that?
“We have to create an avenue for a new beginning and move forward because human beings easily forget. Because of the love they have for this party, they will want to open a new beginning”.
