Oshiomole emerges as front-runner to become next APC national chairman as Odigie-Oyegun looks set to bow out

FORMER Edo State governor Adams Oshiomole has emerged as the frontrunner to become the next national chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) after it emerged that President Muhammadu Buhari wants incumbent Chief John Odigie-Oyegun to go.

Chief Odigie-Oyegun had recently got an elongation of his tenure by the APC's national executive committee but President Buhari objected to it, indicating that the party wants a new chairman in place before the next election. Governor Oshiomhole held a closed-door meeting with President Buhari in Abuja yesterday, where it was believed the two of them agreed on how to proceed with the matter.

With elections due in February 2019, Governor Oshiomole's emergence is despite strong political pitches by leading southeast members of the party for the position to be zoned to their zone. Yesterday, however, the APC said President Buhari’s view cannot change the decision of the national executive committee, as the president is just one person with one vote.

President Buhari's objection to the tenure extension for the serving APC executives has continued to generate reactions with party insiders fuming that the prospect of fresh internal elections just months away from the general election could instigate a crisis. These claims were, however, dismissed by Edo State chapter of the party which praised the president’s decision as a step in the right direction.

Both Chief Odigie-Oyegun and Governor Oshiomole are former governors of Edo State. However, Oshiomole’s position is said to have been strengthened following his reconciliation with Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, national leader of the party whose strident opposition to the tenure extension scheme for the Odigie-Oyegun-led executive has made it a national issue.

Ironically, Governor Oshiomhole and Asiwaju Tinubu were on opposing sides four years ago when Chief Odigie-Oyegun emerged as national chairman of the then just emerging party. At that time, Governor Oshiomhole was fully supportive of the aspiration of Chief Tom Ikimi to be national chairman, a move that was itself truncated by Asiwaju Tinubu who successfully pushed forward Chief Odigie-Oyegun for the position.

Chief Ikimi subsequently walked away from the party after a public spat with Asiwaju Tinubu, following the election of Chief Odigie-Oyegun. Now, however, Governor Oshiomhole’s candidacy is being helped by the fact that Chief Odigie-Oyegun is unlikely to contest the position on account of age.

Chief Odigie-Oyegun, who is 79, had seen the prospects of a one-year extension as a fitting anchor for him to leave public service at 80 next year.  One challenge against the Oshiomhole candidacy, however, could be the muttering by party members on how President Buhari shocked members of the national executive committee, of the party by backtracking on their resolution first passed last February on the extension.

On Tuesday, the motion for the adoption of tenure extension, was carried by 104 votes with only four votes against, with many governors who are known to be supportive of President Buhari backing Chief Odigie-Oyegun. Party operatives and officials were also peeved by the fact that the President who was present at the February meeting did not speak against the move then and was mute on the issue at the national caucus on the eve of Tuesday's meeting.