The National Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, has stated that the party could do without politicians who have formed a habit of defecting from one political party to another during election periods.
He made this known during the ongoing National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the party in Abuja.
Oshiomhole disclosed that on assumption of office, he initiated peace moves to appease those genuinely aggrieved in order to address their grievances.
He said, “But those who were determined to leave , not on account of what anybody has done wrong against them , but on account of an ambition they believe they cannot realise on our platform, even though they were not denied the opportunity to try out that ambition , but perhaps because they could read like an oracle what the future would be , particularly as people have contested before when we didn’ t have any incumbent .
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“ Those who had dollars gave ; those who had nails gave and Mr. President said I don’ t have , but even if I have , I won ’ t give , but will offer honest leadership . At the end , the President won , but the victory did not purge those with that ambition and they were determined that they must contest and they were free to do that.
“ I had thought that by the provisions in our party constitution , they had the right to contest and that right was not going to be denied them . But reflecting on what has happened in the past and reading the minds of party members and leaders, they came to the conclusion that the only way they can realise their ambition was to relocate and they relocated . ”
Oshiomhole added that the party remains bigger than any single individual and could survive without disloyal politicians who chose to leave despite his best efforts.
“For distant observers , they think that this is a huge blow to our party . I made a comment which seems to have been misunderstood in some quarters, when I said that if some individuals of no particular fixed political address decide to leave, I will not lose my sleep.
“ I speak of no particular fixed address because if you have a history of moving every season from one political party to the other with one constant thing in mind — to contest — now , what is your political address ? So , for people like that who are migrant politicians , rolling stone politicians , I am not able to identify their political address and therefore, I refuse to miss my sleep . ”
The party chairman noted that his statement that he was not losing sleep over the defections was not arrogance as misconstrued in several quarters but bluntness.
He noted that the party would continue to address the grievances of members, especially some lawmakers who have causes of dissatisfaction.
Oshiomhole expressed satisfaction in the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, adding that the president has not disappointed Nigerians since he assumed power in 2015.