The embattled National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC,
Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, is to consult President Muhammadu Buhari over
the attack launched against him by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the national Party Leader.
Sources in Abuja gathered that Odigie-Oyegun, the man at the
centre of the controversy, on his part, vowed, yesterday, not to lose
his cool on the matter, saying he would not respond to Tinubu, who he
called a respected party leader until after the crucial governorship
election taking place in his home state, Edo, tomorrow.
Meanwhile,
senior party figures, including legislators, were, yesterday, divided
over the faceoff. The party’s Deputy National Publicity Secretary,
Comrade Timi Frank, however, picked up the attack by Tinubu as a
vindication for him over his past demands that Odigie-Oyegun resign or
be removed as national chairman of the party. Tinubu had in a communiqué
from his office on Sunday night, rebuked Odigie-Oyegun for allegedly
sabotaging the wheels of democracy in Ondo State, following the decision
to forward Chief Rotimi Akeredolu’s name as the party’s governorship
candidate, despite claims by the party’s Ondo Governorship Appeal Panel
that the delegates’ list used for the primaries was compromised. Oyegun,
Tinubu and Buhari Speaking to Vanguard, yesterday, Odigie-Oyegun said:
“Asiwaju is a well-respected leader of our party, so I cannot be seen
speaking evil against him.
I have to consult properly with
other leaders of the party before we make any definite statement. Again,
you know we have a crucial election here in Edo, which is my priority
right now.” Though the national chairman did not name President Buhari,
party sources in Abuja, however, told Vanguard that the President was on
top of the list of those to be consulted. He continued: “We don’t want
to lose focus, and I know Asiwaju also wants us to win because we all
have worked hard for this.
So, maybe after the election, if
there is need, I will speak, if no need, I will relax. “But all I can
say now is that most of the things said in the papers about me are not
true. I have always believed in internal democracy, that the credibility
of primaries must be taken seriously. “I believe that if primaries of
parties are not credible, it may derail any democracy, so I don’t play
with these things at all. Everybody knows me, and I don’t joke with my
credibility, and I have tried to maintain it.
“Like I said,
Asiwaju is our leader, and we all hold him in high esteem, so I will
never join issues with him. “But may be after Edo elections, after we
must have emerged victorious, we may speak on some of the issues raised.
So there is no problem at all. Edo is the focus for now, and as you
know, this is my state, so it is a very serious election for us. “I want
to be allowed to remain focussed, then after the election, we can
speak,” he stated. The issue is, however, raising mixed responses in the
party hierarchy.
A member of the National Working Committee,
NWC, of the party, who sought to exonerate the national chairman of the
allegations raised against him, revealed that a brief on the issues that
led to Tinubu’s attack was being prepared for onward transmission by
the national chairman to the President once he returned from Benin after
the governorship election. I’ve been vindicated —Timi Frank Deputy
National Publicity Secretary of the party, Comrade Frank, however, saw
the attack as a vindication for him over his past calls for
Odigie-Oyegun’s resignation or removal from office.
Speaking
with journalists in Abuja, Frank said if no action was taken, he would
after 14 days, mobilise party members to protest against the chairman in
Abuja. He said he was already mobilising some members of the National
Executive Committee, NEC, of the party to convene an emergency NEC
meeting.
“I was one of the first persons in this party who took
the bull by the horns to foresee what is happening today in our party,
and I came out early to say there were issues or crisis in this party.
“As at that time, I was alone, nobody saw where I was coming from.
This crisis started when the issue of the leadership of the National
Assembly came up, and I foresaw it at that time that because of the
decision and position that my party took at that time against their own
party members like the Senate President and the Speaker, there could be
further issues. I came up to shout but then again, nobody listened to
me. Then, it was Saraki.
“They appropriated my job and said it
is only Oyegun and the secretary that can speak for the party. “Today, I
have been vindicated. We all saw what happened in the aftermath of Ondo
primary elections…a founding father of the party, a national leader of
our party has concurred with my earlier call that Oyegun should resign
as national chairman. “That should let you know that I foresaw what they
did not see.
Yes, he has tried by taking the party to where he
thinks he has taken it to and I congratulate him for that, but again,
you cannot give what you do not have.” Oyegun not sincere in leading
APC—Rep Ayinla Also speaking to Vanguard in Abuja, the member
representing Mushin 11 Federal Constituency, Lagos State, Bolaji Yusuf
Ayinla, said the virtue of transparency needed to lead the party was now
lacking in the leadership.
“Asiwaju Ahmed Tinunbu will not make
a decision without verifying what he is saying. This is a man that has
struggled and suffered to build this party, and he has tried all his
best possible, with his health, his life, he has put everything that
needs to be put for the development of the party. “Let the country know
where you genuinely belong. We want a clean and clear person as a
chairman, who will steer the ship of the party. Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu has
found out, he has checked, he has been informed, he has seen what
transpired in the Ondo APC governorship primaries.
“I am in
support of the call for the resignation of the national chairman. If you
are a leader of an organisation, and people working under you are not
working genuinely, sincerely, if you tell them to resign, why not? If
not for transparency, for honesty, for sincerity, that is what he said,
that is why I am supporting him,” Ayinla said. Also commenting, Rep
Razak Atunwa, APC Asa/Ilorin West Federal Constituency of Kwara State
said the faceoff remained an internal affair of the APC. “APC is one
family, there is always bound to be one disagreement or the other either
between leaders or the followers. What is important is that we get our
house together and come together as one family and whatever disagreement
we have, we resolve it,” he said.
_Vanguard