Oyegun speaks on APC crisis, reveals secret of rift with Tinubu
- Chief John Odigie-Oyegun has as said that it will take more that newspaper headlines to sack him
- Oyegun claims the National Leader of the APC, Bola Ahmed Tinubu used some very harsh words on him
- He says between him and Tinubu is only a difference of opinions
Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, has said that he cannot be removed from office on the pages of newspapers. He made the assertion while speaking to State House correspondents after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari.
This declaration is coming barely one day after he shook hands with the National Leader of his party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Odigie-Oyegun’s visit to the President was against the background of the public spat between the two party leaders arising from alleged differences in the conduct of the Ondo state governorship primary of the party won by Chief Rotimi Akeredolu.
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The All Progressives Congress (APC), National Chairman, also said that APC’s victory in Edo state governorship election showed that the masses were still very supportive of President Buhari, despite the difficult economic situation in the country.
Tinubu had in a press statement, penultimate Sunday, flayed Odigie-Oyegun’s act in overruling the decision of an appeal committee constituted by the party for a fresh primary, describing the national chairman as a turncoat democrat, who should resign from office.
Vanguard reports that both men met for the first time since the party crisis on Monday, October 3 at the launch of a book on President Buhari, during which they shook hands but virtually avoided each other for the rest of the day.
Questioned on the confrontation with the party leader, yesterday, Odigie-Oyegun said Tinubu used harsh words on him, even as he denied a rift between them, saying it was a difference in opinion.
The APC national chairman also said the procedure for removing a chairman was provided in the party’s constitution, adding that the National Executive Committee, NEC, would meet at the appropriate time.
He said: “There is no rift with Asiwaju. We have a difference of opinion, difference of perception and I think that is normal. Yes, I agree that the nature of the statement was a bit harsh.
“The methods of getting rid of a national chairman, if that is what I will call it, are spelt out in the constitution. They don’t take place on the pages of newspapers. It is proper for them to meet and they will all meet at the appropriate time.”
On whether the handshake was a sign of true reconciliation, the chairman said: “Do they know how far back our association goes? Do they know that we were in the trenches together in the NADECO days? Why can’t people who have mutual respect for each other have different opinions?
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“All we had was a difference of opinion. Yes, it was expressed a bit harshly, but that doesn’t remove the basic fact that we have worked together for a very long time.”
Oyegun stated that it was only the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, that would upturn the victory of Akeredolu.
“What happened is in the report of the chairman of the primaries committee. It is only INEC that can make U-turn on Ondo,” he said. He also dismissed speculations that he imported youths to protest against Tinubu at APC secretariat in Abuja.
“God forbid, anybody who knows me knows that it is not my style. I’m equally shocked, and I’m going to look into it and find out why and who is behind it,” he said.
On the victory of APC in the September 28 Edo governorship election, Oyegun expressed happiness that the election ended in the party’s favour. Oyegun said: “Well, it was a hard-fought election, that was clear. Two things really, it was more of a referendum, first on the performance of the governor. Second, on the quality of our candidate and most importantly, given the economic situation, it was an opportunity for us to measure the continued popularity and acceptability of our President.
“What it indicated is that by and large, the people of this country still have faith, confidence in the fact that if there is one man that can fix their situation, it is President Muhammadu Buhari.”
In a similar vein, scores of youths, allegedly loyal to Chief Odigie-Oyegun, yesterday, besieged the national secretariat of APC in Abuja, protesting what they said was an attempt by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to enthrone himself as the “god” of the party.
The youth group asked the former Lagos governor to limit his political empire to the South-West “because Nigeria is bigger than a region or Lagos state.” They called on Tinubu “to either leave the party or curtail his greed.”
Source: Legit.ng
