By JOHN ALECHENU, Abuja

A group of stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress in Edo State has given the Director-General of the Progressives Governors’ Forum, Salihu Lukman, a seven-day ultimatum to withdraw what it called “an offensive and malicious statement” or be prepared to face legal action.

The group issued the threat in a statement jointly signed by Chief Francis Inegbeneki and Alhaji Suleiman Bagudu, in Abuja, on Monday.

According to the stakeholders, the memo by the PGF DG accusing the National Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole, of being the problem of the party was not only an insult but offensive.

They were reacting to a memo written by the PGF DG, to the Chief Bisi Akande-led APC peace panel, on Sunday.

The DG had accused the APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, of being the problem of the party.

While dismissing the contents of the memo as “arrant nonsense”, the group explained that the DG ceased to be the DG of the Progressives Governors Forum the day he allegedly decided to market himself to those who were afraid of the ongoing reforms in the APC.

It read in part, “For so long, we have kept quiet to his tantrums against the APC National Chairman, thinking that himself and his co-travelers, including Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, would turn a new leaf but they have persisted in their evil plot against Comrade Oshiomhole.

“Comrade Oshiomhole is not in the same category as small-minded men, like Lukman, who are making frantic efforts to please their paymasters.

“If his memo is not full of mischief and motivated by a compromised conscience that was not out to promote reconciliation, he should not have sent it to the press before making it available to the Committee members.” (The Punch)