Taiwo Amodu and Jacob Segun Olatunji – Abuja

The plot to oust the embattled national chairman of the APC has suffered a setback, Sunday Tribune can authoritatively reveal.

A party source told Sunday Tribune in confidence that a certain governor in the South-West, who is the arrow-head of the orchestrated plot may have decided to review his hard-line position on the anti-Oshiomhole project following the interviention of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Findings revealed that the aggrieved governor whose anointed choice as successor lost the party ticket in the recently conducted primaries met with President Buhari during the week and was assured that his interest would be accomodated after the next general elections.

The party source further revealed that President Buhari expressed grave concern at the meeting with the governor that his electoral fortunes may suffer serious jeopardy in the South-West zone if the cold war between the aggrieved governor, who is his ally in the South-West on one hand and a national leader of the party, Senator Bola Tinubu and the national chairman of the party on the hand, continued.

The president, it was learnt, insisted on a ceasefire.

Other governors fingered to have instigated Oshiomhole’s invitation and interrogation were Abdul-Aziz Yari, Rochas Okorocha and Rotimi Akeredolu, governors of Zamfara, Imo and Ondo states, respectively.

Findings revealed that as part of his trouble shooting efforts; President Buhari is expected to meet certain leaders of the party this week.

Further checks, however, revealed that the governors are not relenting and are pushing for meetings of statutory organs of the party, the national caucus and the National Executive Committee, (NEC) as against the reconciliation meeting at the behest of President Buhari.

But meetings of the national caucus and NEC being instigated by the governors are practically impossible as it could only be convened by the man at the centre of the storm, Oshiomhole.

National publicity secretary of the APC, Mallam Lanre Isa-Onilu told Sunday Tribune on phone that he was not aware of any plan for NEC meeting, saying: “Not to my knowledge. I am not aware.”

Meanwhile, the last may not have been heard on the drilling of Oshiomhole, as more facts have now emerged about his invitation by the DSS last week during which he ended up spending over nine hours with the operatives of the DSS before reprieve finally came his way.

Top sources in the Presidency and the Services told the Sunday Tribune in Abuja on Saturday that the former governor of Edo State was invited to clear the air on the various petitions pending before the nation’s secret police against him and the DSS did not need to consult with any quarter before carrying out such constitutional duties.

The source clarified that the DSS was fully aware of the foreign trip of the APC boss and that he was expected back at the DSS this week for further investigation.