…reveals how APC paid billions to win Imo, Kwara, Gombe, Zamfara, Benue
Immediate past National Vice Chairman, North Central, in the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Ahmed Suleiman Wambai, has let out some of the party’s well kept secrets why trying to explain the current power struggle threatening the foundation of the party.
In an interview with Saturday Sun, Wambai said the loss suffered by the APC in the just held governorship election in Edo State was pure conspiracy. He claimed both Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and APC members joined forces.
He noted, “But I tell you what, we have not lost that election. We are taking over Edo state on technical grounds. Obaseki has no paper and we are waiting to see the governor, any court or government that will prove that Obaseki is qualified.
“Secondly, Obaseki lied under oath and received nomination forms from two political parties against the ruling of the Supreme Court. This is just a temporary celebration for him.”
Wambai detailed how Adams Oshiomhole, the ex-National Chairman of the party doled out billions of naira to ensure APC won the governorship elections in Imo, Kwara, Gombe, Zamfara, and Benue states.
He said APC is not a political party but an amalgamation of interests just for the purpose of grabbing power as he insisted that the battle to control the party ahead of the 2023 presidency led to the failure of the party to win the recent Edo governorship election, the sacking of Oshiomhole and the gang-up against a national leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu by APC governors.
Wambai added, “We never go cap in hand to any ministry for contract or patronages for the survival of the party. Oshiomhole was the only person that gave N20 million and N10 million contributions to all the Senators and House of Representatives candidates during the election.
“He was the only person that gave some governorship candidates of some states we desired to win like Imo, Kwara, Gombe and Zamfara N1 billion each, Benue, about N700 million. We did all these from the purse of the party. In the history of political party, no one has done that. Ask me the source of the money, it was through the sale of our nomination forms. We deliberately raised the price of governorship nomination form to N22 million to reduce controversy, conflict and unnecessary competition.
“We wanted to stop some unserious persons from picking the form. We even refunded the money of those that lost the primaries. Oshiomhole has never been dictated to by Mr President, the governors or the Ministers. That is the ideal way a party should run as enshrined in the constitution of the party.”
He explained that the governors are against Bola Tinubu because 2023 election is around the corner. “Some of them want to be the next president, some want to be the vice president but they forgot that only God Almighty determines who becomes the next president and vice president. Many of them are living in illusion.
“But if they are against Bola Tinubu, a major stakeholder in this party, there will definitely be a problem because he is too big to be sacrificed. I know that none of them dictating now, abusing Mr President and jostling to scheme out Tinubu will be able to deliver their zone,” he noted.
On the allegation that the Oshiomhole-led National Working Committee was working for Tinubu 2023 presidency, Wambai said, “Let me tell you the honest truth, Tinubu did not bring a couple of members of that NWC into the APC national leadership. Don’t forget that we are all educated. We are men of integrity, representatives of our people, we have conscience. People are afraid of Tinubu so much like people are afraid of snake.
“Sincerely speaking, Tinubu does not have Oshiomhole’s number. I know a couple of times Oshiomhole tried to reach him on phone, but he did not pick the calls. It was bad that we have to use somebody very close to him to let Oshiomhole talk to him. I am a big fan of Tinubu, but I cannot reach him because he does not know me.
“I don’t know why the unnecessary exaggerated phobia for Tinubu, yet he is the only man that contributes to the survival of all states in the country. There is no governor that has not gone to Tinubu, either for court cases, getting a ticket and he has been up and doing in handling those romances.
“There is no goal getter in APC like Tinubu. Everybody in APC who has the desire to contest in 2023 as a governor or president will need the support of Tinubu.”