Oshiomhole has thrown his senses to the wind - Okorocha

Two days after President Muhammadu Buhari was declared the winner of Nigeria’s presidential election, the cracks within his party have again come to the fore.

Mr Buhari is considered a rallying point for diverse interests within the APC. All interests within the party worked together for his victory.

However, some officials of the party, including two of its governors had declared they would support candidates of other parties for governorship and state assembly elections in their states.

On Friday afternoon, the APC announced the suspension of the two governors, Rochas Okorocha of Imo and Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how the National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC suspended the two governors after a meeting.

Two others suspended were the Niger Delta minister, Usani Usani, and the Director-General of the Voice of Nigeria, Osita Okechukwu.

The NWC also recommended the expulsion of the governors and the presidential appointees from the ruling party in a recommendation sent to APC national executive committee, the party’s highest decision-making organ, for ratification.

All four suspended officials are known allies of Mr Buhari who played controversial roles during the presidential campaign rally in Ogun and Imo. In both states, Mr Buhari made statements that suggested he was asking party supporters to vote for the governorship and state assembly candidates of their choice irrespective of the party.

Messrs Amosun and Okorocha have had running battles with the party leadership after their preferred candidates for the upcoming governorship and state assembly elections were rejected by the APC.

Both governors, who won senatorial seats on the APC platform last Saturday, are now backing their preferred candidates who defected to other parties.

Okorocha Reacts
In reacting to his suspension, Mr Okorocha said the National Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole, has ‘thrown caution to the wind’ in his politicking.

He said the chairman is working to destroy the party in the South-east zone.

Mr Okorocha made his position known in a statement sent to Punch newspaper.