Former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, disclosed how Governors Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti, Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun, and Salihu Lukman, a former national vice chairman, North-west, orchestrated his removal from the party’s leadership. Oshiomhole outlined the details of his clash with these governors within the APC during the launch of Salihu Lukman’s book “APC and Transition Politics” in Abuja.
He accused Lukman and some governors of leading a campaign to unlawfully oust him from office as part of their opposition to his efforts to uphold party supremacy. Oshiomhole alleged that the governors employed various illicit methods to remove him and emphasized how Lukman, appointed undemocratically by the governors’ forum, played a pivotal role in this scheme. Oshiomhole highlighted Lukman’s dismissal of his leadership through written communication without prior consultation, expressing discontent with the undemocratic appointment process.
Recalling a meeting with the governors, Oshiomhole described an atmosphere reminiscent of a military barrack and asserted his experience as a two-term governor, challenging the legitimacy of some of the governors’ claims about wielding political power. He specifically addressed Governor Fayemi, pointing out his electoral setback in a second term bid and dismissing it as a failure. Oshiomhole also shared conversations with other governors who criticized him for allegedly working in favor of his political ally in Lagos, referring to the individual as his “paymaster in Bourdillon.”