I was sacked as APC national chairman via zoom – Oshiomhole reveals

• Oshiomhole said he was removed as APC national chairman through a Zoom meeting held at the Presidential Villa after the party had stabilized under his leadership.

• He claimed attempts to remove him began with a petition allegedly signed by eight members of his ward, which led to a court case and legal battles.

• The former APC chairman said he helped secure electoral victories for the party and resolved National Assembly leadership disputes before his eventual removal in 2020.

Former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, has opened up on the circumstances that led to his removal from office in 2020, claiming he was effectively sacked through a virtual meeting held at the Presidential Villa.

Speaking during an interview on AIT, the senator representing Edo North said his exit from the party's top position came after he had helped stabilize the APC and contributed significantly to the party's electoral successes.

Oshiomhole, who served as APC national chairman from 2018 until his removal in June 2020, said he played a major role in helping the party secure victory in the 2019 general elections under then-President Muhammadu Buhari.

According to him, the APC leadership under his watch also resolved internal disputes that had affected the National Assembly.

READ ALSO: Nigerians question FG's plan to deploy 10,000 electric tricycles amid power challenges

“I led my party to victory under Buhari. With my colleague in the National Working Committee, NWC, we were able to fix the leadership tussle of the National Assembly, both the Senate and the House Representatives effortlessly,” he said.

“Our president didn’t have to run around the country to talk to people. We did the marketing, explanation, persuasion and all the tools available to manage democracy.”

The former Edo State governor said events took a different turn after the party became more stable, alleging that efforts were made to remove him from office.

READ ALSO: Full List: 11 Obas abducted or killed as 30+ Monarchs flee their palaces in Kwara over kidnap crisis

“Once the system got stabilized, I was sacked through a Zoom, and when people couldn’t get me removed democratically, they claimed that eight members of my Ward signed a petition that they passed a vote of no confidence on me.

“And on that basis they took the matter to the court, which granted their interim order. I appealed the order. The Court of Appeal quashed it. Three weeks later, the Court of Appeal called us back and restated the order. A few days later, I saw for the first time a National Executive Council, NEC, held by Zoom in the villa,” he said.

Oshiomhole's removal as APC chairman followed a prolonged internal crisis within the ruling party. At the time, the party's National Executive Committee dissolved the National Working Committee and approved the formation of a Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee to oversee party affairs.

His latest comments provide fresh insight into the political events that culminated in one of the most dramatic leadership changes in the APC's history.